Gravitational Wave Detection: Its Significance and Perspectives

On September 14, 2015, gravitational waves were nearly simutaneously detected directly for the first time by two Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors, one located at Livingston, Louisiana, and the other at Hanford, Washington, USA. Careful analysis revealed that this signal was produced by the last moment of the inspiral and merger of two black holes that had been orbiting each other for a long time. Astronomers will be able to learn about the natures and the origins of such exotic objects by analyzing more gravitational wave emitting events as the sensitivity of the detector increases. This article provides a very brief overview of the nature of gravitational waves, the detection principles, and the outlook for gravitational wave science.