GW150914: A Binary Black Hole Merger

On September 14, 2015, at 09:50:45 UTC the two detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) simultaneously observed a transient gravitational-wave signal. It matches the waveform predicted by general relativity for the inspiral and merger of a pair of black holes and the ringdown of the resulting single black hole. This is the first direct detection of gravitational waves and the first observation of a binary black hole merger. This discovery opens up a new window into universe and possibility of doing physics and astrophysics with systems such as binary black hole merger.