The visualization shows binary black hole merger simulations with parameters consistent with the 86 events analyzed in detail from the GWTC-4.0 catalog. The numerical relativity simulations of the black hole mergers were provided by the Simulations of Extreme Spacetimes (SXS) waveform database.

Each panel shows the tracks of the merging black holes at the center surrounded by the emitted gravitational waves. The reference physical time is shown at the bottom of the video. For visualization purposes, each individual panel uses a different speedup factor (stated in the upper left corner) relative to the reference time. This speedup factor is proportional to the total mass of the system, as typically less massive systems are observed for longer within the frequency range of the gravitational-wave detectors.

The tracks of the black holes are shown in white, and the gravitational-wave emission is shown in colors ranging from purple to yellow. Dark purple colors represent comparatively weak gravitational waves, whereas yellow colors represent the strongest waves emitted around the merger. The strongest gravitational waves are emitted in the directions perpendicular to the instant orbital plane. For precessing systems, the orientation of their orbital plane is constantly changing.

© I. Markin (Potsdam University), T. Dietrich (Potsdam University and Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics), H. Pfeiffer (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics). Acknowledgements: Numerical relativity simulations of the black hole mergers provided by the Simulations of Extreme Spacetimes (SXS) waveform database.

I. Markin and T. Dietrich gratefully acknowledge the support of Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) through Project No. 504148597. This animation was rendered using the Rose gravitational-wave visualization toolkit and powered primarily by renewable energy.