Scientists Discover Gravitational Waves

Introduction:

For the first time, scientists have discovered gravitational waves in space. They
were created when two black holes collided at half the speed of light and joined to
form a single black hole about 1.3 billion years ago. The discovery was made by
two observatories using laser instruments, in Louisiana and Washington.

Development:

A hundred years ago, German physicist Albert Einstein suggested that gravitational
waves existed, however, up to now, nobody could prove it. He thought that they
were so small nobody would ever be able to measure them. For decades scientists
have been searching for them. The major discovery confirms Einstein's general
theory of relativity and opens up a new way of how we look at the universe.

The black holes were about 100 miles in diameter , but had 30 times the mass of
the sun. When they crashed into each other they sent ripples into space, similar to
throwing a stone into the water. These ripples go through everything that is in their
way. However, such vibrations can only be detected by very sensitive instruments.
Two identical detectors went into operation last year. Each of them recorded a
signal at the same time.

Conclusion:

Gravitational waves allow us to study black holes and other objects in the universe.
Now, scientists hope that they can see things that they have never seen before.