BlackGEM Telescopes and LIGO Join Forces in Gravitational Wave Hunt

The BlackGEM array, consisting of three new telescopes located at the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) La Silla Observatory, has begun operations to detect gravitational waves caused by cosmic events like black hole and neutron star mergers. Unlike detectors such as LIGO and the Virgo Interferometer, BlackGEM can precisely locate these astronomical phenomena using visible light, enhancing our understanding of their processes, including the formation of heavy elements like gold and platinum.