LIGO | Hanford

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LIGO and Virgo make first detection of gravitational waves produced by colliding neutron stars

Press release • October 16, 2017

For the first time, scientists have directly detected gravitational waves — ripples in space and time — in addition to light from the spectacular collision of two neutron stars. This marks the first time that a cosmic event has been viewed in both gravitational waves and light.
Nobel Prize awarded to LIGO Founders

News Release • October 3, 2017

The LIGO Laboratory, comprising LIGO Hanford, LIGO Livingston, Caltech, and MIT are excited to announce that LIGO’s three longest-standing and greatest champions have been awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics: Barry Barish and Kip Thorne of Caltech and Rainer Weiss of MIT.
Gravitational waves from a binary black hole merger observed by LIGO and Virgo

News Release • September 27, 2017

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo collaboration report the first joint detection of gravitational waves with both the LIGO and Virgo detectors. This is the fourth announced detection of a binary black hole system and the first significant gravitational-wave signal recorded by the Virgo detector, and highlights the scientific potential of a three-detector network of gravitational-wave detectors.
LIGO Detects Gravitational Waves

Detection Portal • February 11, 2016

On September 14, 2015 at 5:51 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (09:51 UTC), the twin Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors, located in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington, USA both measured ripples in the fabric of spacetime – gravitational waves – arriving at the Earth from a cataclysmic event in the distant universe. The new Advanced LIGO detectors had just been brought into operation for their first observing run when the very clear and strong signal was captured.
Gravitational Waves Detected 100 Years After Einstein's Prediction

News Release • February 11, 2016

For the first time, scientists have observed ripples in the fabric of spacetime called gravitational waves, arriving at the earth from a cataclysmic event in the distant universe. This confirms a major prediction of Albert Einstein's 1915 general theory of relativity and opens an unprecedented new window onto the cosmos.
Welcome to LIGO Hanford

• August 5, 2015

LIGO Hanford is located in the Columbia Basin region of Central Washington near the Tri-Cities. Home to one of LIGO's two gravitational wave detectors, our facility operates in tandem with LIGO Livingston to listen for the faint whispers of gravitational waves from the most energetic events in the universe.

LIGO Hanford hosts site tours, school field trips and special public events. Use the menus above to see our tour and event schedules and to learn more about the science and engineering that are driving the search for gravitational waves.
What are gravitational waves? Why are we looking for them? How does it affect us? Virtual Tour

News

Colliding-neutron-stars-produce-gold

LIGO Detection of Colliding Neutron Stars Spawns Global Effort to Study the Rare Event

News Release • October 16, 2017

LIGO’s detection on August 17, 2017 of gravitational waves from merging neutron stars has spawned an explosion of new science across the global astronomical community. This detection is especially important to science because the waves were created by matter and not black holes. As such, a deluge of electromagnetic radiation was also produced in the process; something not associated with any of LIGO’s previous detections. Behind the scenes of this amazing discovery.

Latest Headlines

LIGO Founders receive Fudan-Zongzhi Science Award

News Release • September 25, 2017

LIGO's 2nd Observation Run Finishes

News Release • August 25, 2017

The Science of Dance: Exploring Gravitational Waves

News Release • April 18, 2017

Researchers

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Upcoming LIGO Hanford Public Tours:

Saturday, November 11th, 2017

First Walking Tour: 1:30-2:45 p.m.

Auditorium Talk: 3:00 p.m.

Second Walking Tour: 3:30-4:45 p.m.

Contact LIGO Hanford

Physical/shipping address:
127124 N Rt. 10
Richland, WA 99354

Postal address:
PO Box 159
Richland, WA 99352-0159

46 27 18.528 N, 119 24 27.5657 W

Information: (509) 372-8106

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LIGO is jointly operated by Caltech and MIT
LIGO is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation

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LIGO Laboratory is member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration.

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