Telescope array searches for violent gravitational-wave sources.

The BlackGEM telescope array, consisting of three new telescopes located at the European Southern Observatory's La Silla Observatory in Chile, has begun operations. The array will search for violent and cataclysmic events in the cosmos, such as neutron star collisions and black hole mergers, which launch ripples in space-time called gravitational waves. By detecting both the gravitational waves and visible light generated by such events, scientists can not only hone in on their precise locations but can also learn more about their nature. The BlackGEM array will quickly scan large areas of the sky to hunt for gravitational-wave sources in visible light and more accurately hone in on their locations.