Aerial views showing the locations and extents of the LIGO Hanford and LIGO Livingston interferometers.
LIGO consists of two instruments called interferometers, each with two 4 km (2.5 mile) long arms arranged in the shape of an “L”. The interferometers act as 'antennae' to detect gravitational waves. In the links below, you will learn much more about interferometers and how LIGO actually works.
LIGO Laboratory
MC 100-36
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA 91125
The LIGO Laboratory is supported by the National Science Foundation and operated jointly by Caltech and MIT. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
LIGO Laboratory is member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration.
We observe and publish science with the Virgo Collaboration
