BYJU'S(Think & Learn)'s video: Gravitational Waves: 5 Reasons Why It Matters

Where did these waves come from ? All the huge stars and other objects in the universe produce these waves when they move in a particular manner. The gravitational waves that have been identified by our scientists on September 14,2015 were produced when 2 black holes in the universe combined together and formed a single black hole . Now, black holes are nothing but areas in space with very high force of gravity , and even light cannot escape from it. Each of these black holes have masses that are 29 and 36 times the mass of the sun. So, when they got combined , they have a mass of 62 times that of the sun. This merging of the two black holes produced many gravitational waves, and the instrument kept at US has identified them. Why was it so difficult to identify these waves? The gravitational waves produce a certain effect throughout the path they travel . But , the effect they produce is so small that it was unable by any instrument to catch hold of it. But , an instrument called the LIGO((Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) , is so sensitive that it succeeded it catching hold of this wave . When were these waves produced ? These waves were produced 1.3 billion years back when the two black holes combined together. Why did it take so long to reach the Earth ? It is because the Earth is so far away from space that even the light of the sun reaches 8 minutes after it starts from the sun. So , the gravitational waves started from the black holes 1.3 billion years back and they were identified by LIGO on September 14, 2015. How can these waves tell us more about the universe ? All the fascinations that we had about knowing about the stars and the sun and every aspect of the universe will now be answered. Earlier , scientists used light and similar waves to understand about the universe . But , they could never tell us realities beyond a point , about the universe. These waves could not bring enough information from space. But , scientists say that gravitational waves can bring us information from the innermost rooms of the universe and explain to us about the tiniest aspects of it. We will get proof of the existence of various objects in the universe , whose existence we weren't sure of. So, get ready to explore the magnificient universe and travel deeper into the stars!