Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos

Gravitational wave: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As gravitational radiation • gravity wave

Photos and Videos

Illustration of a space-based long-range interferometer system for detecting gravitational waves, showing three spacecraft in triangular formation exchanging laser beams, with labeled components including interferometers, solar arrays, thrusters, and the path of gravity waves, as well as Earth's position and orbital path in the background.
Know about the discovery of gravitational waves and their role in unlocking secrets of the universe
What are gravitational waves and how were they first detected?
How are gravitational waves applied in science and in everyday life?
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics

Key People

Portrait of Albert Einstein in a suit and tie, looking slightly to the side with a neutral expression.
Albert Einstein
German-American physicist
default image
Rainer Weiss
American physicist
default image
Kip Thorne
American physicist
default image
Barry C. Barish
American physicist
default image
Russell Alan Hulse
American physicist
default image
Terence Tao
Australian mathematician

Related Quizzes

Italian-born physicist Dr. Enrico Fermi draws a diagram at a blackboard with mathematical equations. circa 1950.
Physics and Natural Law