A record-brakkin black hole rammy haes bin spotted, revealin the lairgest black holes ivver detectit throu gravitational waves. The event, coded GW231123, wis observed on November 23, 2023, by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration yaisin US-based LIGO observatories.

The final black hole formed wees ower 225 times the mass o oor Sun. This unpreecedentit size challenges existin ideas aboot hoo black holes form. The twa mergin black holes meisured aboot 100 an 140 solar masses, spinnin rapidly an hintin at a complex past, aiblins involvin earlier mergers o smawer black holes.

University o Glesga researchers played a key role in analysin the signal an fittin the data tae models. Dr Daniel Williams, leadin the data analysis team, noted, “This excitin event is ane o mony that we’ve analysed fae data collected in 2023 an early 2024… it’s an excellent example o hoo we’re still discoverin new an unexpectit hings aboot black holes an ultimately aboot hoo stars evolve.”

The finnins will be shared at the GR-Amaldi meetin — the warld’s lairgest conference on gravitational waves — takkin place in Glesga fae July 14 tae 18, 2025. This event comes as the scientific community approaches the 10th anniversary o the first ivver gravitational wave detection.

Experts say it will tak years tae fuilly unnerstaund this complex signal an its meanin for cosmic history. For the noo, the discovery merks a significant stap in gravitational wave astronomy, pushin technology an theories tae new hechts.