LIGO Gravitational Waves

Gravitational Wave Observation Commemorative Paperweight

LIGO Detected Gravitational Waves from Black Holes

On September 14, 2015 at 5:51 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (09:51 UTC), the twin Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors, located in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington, USA both measured ripples in the fabric of spacetime – gravitational waves – arriving at the Earth from a cataclysmic event in the distant universe. The new Advanced LIGO detectors had just been brought into operation for their first observing run when the very clear and strong signal was captured.

I created this paperweight to commemorate this historic event - the birth of Gravitational Wave Astronomy. 

It features a stylized representation of LIGO Hanford on the obverse and LIGO Livingston on the reverse with the ACTUAL chirp pattern of gravitational waves detected by each facility. (See the video below.)