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<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <title> Learn More | LIGO Lab | Caltech </title> <meta content='text/html; charset=utf-8' http-equiv='Content-Type'> <meta content='IE=edge,chrome=1' http-equiv='X-UA-Compatible'> <meta content='width=device-width,initial-scale=1' name='viewport'> <link href='/assets/favicon/apple-icon-57x57-78f4f4b87ac8ed844b6956a7674c7917.png' rel='apple-touch-icon' sizes='57x57'> <link href='/assets/favicon/apple-icon-60x60-baeef6b0ff7698cde542ab23bfd1ac2e.png' rel='apple-touch-icon' sizes='60x60'> <link href='/assets/favicon/apple-icon-72x72-afca3f570bb63d57879adf790092c142.png' rel='apple-touch-icon' sizes='72x72'> <link href='/assets/favicon/apple-icon-76x76-83a240ca1213d07596638e2a88fb2ee0.png' rel='apple-touch-icon' sizes='76x76'> <link href='/assets/favicon/apple-icon-114x114-448275f006a71b347beb5ebcf39ea7c6.png' rel='apple-touch-icon' sizes='114x114'> <link href='/assets/favicon/apple-icon-120x120-c755d8111e0c6a637b20bb11746916d7.png' rel='apple-touch-icon' sizes='120x120'> <link href='/assets/favicon/apple-icon-144x144-9411a2cca9812c2d8a93b2107d6bbb4f.png' rel='apple-touch-icon' sizes='144x144'> <link href='/assets/favicon/apple-icon-152x152-54b1bcb657527af0ad2609696784139c.png' rel='apple-touch-icon' sizes='152x152'> <link href='/assets/favicon/apple-icon-180x180-568cddf25b1a49a216aa605077b21080.png' rel='apple-touch-icon' sizes='180x180'> <link href='/assets/favicon/android-icon-192x192-e7c2dc95a016d6eec9f1445176be076e.png' rel='icon' sizes='192x192' type='image/png'> <link href='/assets/favicon/favicon-32x32-e848538e81000c6ab1f14dfd377f21d7.png' rel='icon' sizes='32x32' type='image/png'> <link href='/assets/favicon/favicon-96x96-d2b6879752189dc947edd4ea59d46c34.png' rel='icon' sizes='96x96' type='image/png'> <link href='/assets/favicon/favicon-16x16-1801d16e258b8a8210ead9b42899ac2d.png' rel='icon' sizes='16x16' type='image/png'> <link href='/manifest.json' rel='manifest'> <meta content='#ffffff' name='msapplication-TileColor'> <meta content='/assets/favicon/ms-icon-144x144-9411a2cca9812c2d8a93b2107d6bbb4f.png' name='msapplication-TileImage'> <meta content='#ffffff' name='theme-color'> <meta content='LIGO Lab | Caltech' property='og:site_name'> <meta content='Learn More' property='og:title'> <meta content='Learn More' name='title'> <meta content='https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/system/pages/images/19/page/Merging_neutron_stars_Price_and_Rosswog.jpg?1432340433' property='og:image'> <meta content='https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/system/pages/images/19/page/Merging_neutron_stars_Price_and_Rosswog.jpg?1432340433' name='image'> <meta content='https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/page/learn-more' property='og:url'> <meta content='website' property='og:type'> <meta content='The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) consists of two widely separated installations within the United States — one in Hanford Washington and the other in Livingston, Louisiana — operated in unison as a single observatory. LIGO is operated by the LIGO Laboratory, a consortium of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Funded by the National Science Foundation, LIGO is an international resource for both physics and astrophysics.' name='description'> <meta content='The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) consists of two widely separated installations within the United States — one in Hanford Washington and the other in Livingston, Louisiana — operated in unison as a single observatory. LIGO is operated by the LIGO Laboratory, a consortium of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Funded by the National Science Foundation, LIGO is an international resource for both physics and astrophysics.' property='og:description'> <link href="//fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans:300italic,400italic,700italic,400,300,700|Play" media="screen" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link href="/assets/application-07bcd3ad523a6fa1ea1cfa6e8ee24e1c.css" media="screen" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <meta content="authenticity_token" name="csrf-param" /> <meta content="5CipGuLPQYFrfAO6EXpGMG/USaTvbwCey7ITlto+ziQ=" name="csrf-token" /> </head> <body class='site_color_amber'> <div class='flash_messages'> </div> <div class='ligo_bar'> <div class='container'> <div class='row'> <div class='span3'> <a href="/LA" class="current_partner">LIGO Livingston</a> </div> <div class='span6'> <div class='right other_ligo'> <a href="/WA">Hanford Observatory</a> <span> | </span> <a href="/">LIGO Caltech</a> <span> | </span> <a href="/MIT">LIGO MIT</a> </div> </div> <div class='span3'> <div class='input-prepend search_box'> <span class='add-on'> <i class='fa fa-search'></i> </span> <form accept-charset="UTF-8" action="/search" method="post"><div style="margin:0;padding:0;display:inline"><input name="utf8" type="hidden" value="✓" /><input name="authenticity_token" type="hidden" value="5CipGuLPQYFrfAO6EXpGMG/USaTvbwCey7ITlto+ziQ=" /></div><input name='q' placeholder='Search LIGO Lab' type='text'> </form> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class='header'> <div class='container'> <div class='row'> <div class='span12'> <div class='site_name'> <a href="/"><div class='signals left'> <img alt="Ligo_signals" src="/assets/ligo_signals-c600800835440c1e3722874dc29012d2.png" /> </div> <div class='acronym left'> LIGO </div> <div class='full_text left'> Laser Interferometer <br> Gravitational-Wave Observatory <div class='site_tag'> Supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation </div> <div class='site_tag'> Operated by Caltech and MIT </div> </div> </a><div class='clear'></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class='navigation'> <div class='container'> <div class='row'> <div class='span12'> <a href="/LA/page/about" class="">About</a> <a href="/LA/page/learn-more" class="active">Learn More</a> <a href="/LA/news" class="">News</a> <a href="/LA/gallery" class="">Gallery</a> <a href="/LA/page/educational-resources" class="">Educational Resources</a> <a href="/LA/page/scientists" class="">For Scientists</a> <a href="/LA/page/study-work" class="">Study & Careers</a> <div class='clearfix'></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class='navigation local_navigation'> <div class='container'> <div class='row'> <div class='span12'> <a href="/LA/page/Science-Education-Center" class="">Science Education Center</a> <a href="/LA/page/Tours" class="">For Public and Community</a> <a href="/LA/page/Educators" class="">For Educators </a> <a href="/LA/page/Working-Visitors" class="">Working Visitors</a> <a href="/LA/page/Local-Area" class="">Local Area</a> </div> <div class='clearfix'></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class='content'> <div class='container'> <div class='row'> <div class='page'> <div class='span4'> <div class='panel dark_color page_navigation'> <a href="/LA/page/ligo-gw-interferometer" class="">LIGO - A Gravitational-Wave Observatory</a> <a href="/LA/page/gravitational-waves" class="">All About Gravitational Waves</a> <a href="/LA/page/ligo-technology" class="">LIGO Technology</a> <a href="/LA/page/observatories-collaborations" class="">Global Collaboration</a> <a href="/LA/page/look-deeper" class="">Look Deeper</a> <div class='clearfix'></div> </div> </div> <div class='span8'> <div class='panel'> <div class='main_image'> <img alt="Merging_neutron_stars_price_and_rosswog" class="image" src="/system/pages/images/19/page/Merging_neutron_stars_Price_and_Rosswog.jpg?1432340433" /> <p class='caption'> Merging neutron stars. (Credit: Price & Rosswog) </p> </div> <h1> Learn More </h1> <div class='raw'> <p style="text-align: justify;">The U.S. National Science Foundation Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (NSF LIGO) is a research facility designed to sense the space-time vibrations of gravitational waves from the depths of space with the aid of a laser interferometer. Visit the links below to learn more about gravitational waves and NSF LIGO’s remarkable engineering.</p> <ul> <li><a href="ligo-gw-interferometer" target="_blank">LIGO - A Gravitational-Wave Interferometer</a>  Learn about interferometers, how LIGO actually works, and about the technology that makes the search for gravitational waves possible</li> <li><a href="gravitational-waves" target="_blank">All About Gravitational Waves</a>  Learn more about these mysterious signals from deep space</li> <li><a href="https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/page/ligo-technology" target="_blank">LIGO Technology</a>  Learn a little more about LIGO's primary hardware or engineering systems</li> <li><a href="observatories-collaborations" target="_blank">Global Collaboration</a>  Learn about the other observatories and institutions around the world that collaborate with LIGO scientists</li> <li><a href="look-deeper" target="_blank">Look Deeper</a>  Want to know even more? Explore these pages for a deeper dive into LIGO's science and engineering</li> </ul> </div> <div class='clear'></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class='footer panel primary_color_light'> <div class='container'> <div class='row'> <div class='span6'> <div class='row'> <div class='span6'> <h6> <a href="/page/contact">Contact LIGO Livingston</a> </h6> <div class='location_details'> <p> Physical/shipping address: <br> 19100 LIGO Lane <br> Livingston, LA 70754 </p> </div> <div class='location_details'> <p> Postal address: <br> PO Box 940 <br> Livingston, LA 70754 </p> </div> <div class='location_details'> <p> Other Outreach Inquiries: <a href="mailto:%6f%75%74%72%65%61%63%68@%6c%69%67%6f-%6c%61.%63%61%6c%74%65%63%68.%65%64%75">Outreach Department</a> <br> </p> </div> <h6> Information: <a href="tel://2256863100">(225) 686-3100</a> </h6> </div> </div> <p class='policy_links'> <a href="/page/employment">Careers</a> </p> <p> <a href="/page/anti-harassment-statement">Anti-Harassment Policy</a> | <a href="/page/image-use-policy">Image Use Policy</a> | <a href="/page/privacy-policy">Privacy Policy</a> </p> </div> <div class='span6'> <div class='partner_logos'> <a href="http://www.nsf.gov/" alt="The U.S. National Science Foundation" title="The U.S. National Science Foundation"><img alt="Footer_nsf" src="/assets/logos/footer_nsf-b095d1e913dd555437f6682a15d70afb.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.caltech.edu" alt="California Institute of Technology" title="California Institute of Technology"><img alt="Footer_caltech" src="/assets/logos/footer_caltech-dffffad68d75521d67f82d4d77917573.png" /></a> <a href="http://www.mit.edu/" alt="Massachusetts Institute of Technology" title="Massachusetts Institute of Technology"><img alt="Footer_mit" src="/assets/logos/footer_mit-7e6fffaf2cde13a3af99772740d5df1d.png" /></a> </div> <div class='logo_details'> <p> The LIGO Laboratory is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation award PHY-2309200 and <br> operated jointly by Caltech and MIT. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations <br> expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation. </p> </div> <div class='partner_logos'> <a href="http://www.ligo.org/" alt="LIGO Scientific Collaboration" title="LIGO Scientific Collaboration"><img alt="Footer_lsc" height="48" src="/assets/logos/footer_lsc-f75e18cb88af4537a57f048612242fd5.png" width="80" /></a> <a href="http://www.virgo-gw.eu/" alt="VIRGO Homepage" title="VIRGO Homepage"><img alt="Footer_virgo" height="28" src="/assets/logos/footer_virgo-2668a383d8713db7632150294c630ea7.png" width="153" /></a> </div> <div class='logo_details'> <p> LIGO Laboratory is member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. <br> We observe and publish science with the Virgo Collaboration </p> </div> <div class='logo_details'> <p> <a href="http://ice.ipac.caltech.edu" target="_LIGO_lab">Website designed by IPAC Communications & Education Team</a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <script src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-L3MWB9F2S7" type="text/javascript"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-L3MWB9F2S7'); </script> <script src="/assets/application-ee380013684e1a3491edffdc74bc9484.js" type="text/javascript"></script> </body> </html>