GEO600, the German-British Gravitational Wave Detector

Type of observatory: Gravitational waves.
Location: The German-British GEO600 gravitational wave observatory is located near Hannover, Germany. GEO is funded jointly by the MPG and the STFC. — Website

GEO600 is a leg of Around the World in 80 Telescopes tour: Click to play; click  (lower right) to view video full screen Next stop: NAOJ Nobeyama (previous stop: AAT)

Description - The GEO600 project aims at the direct detection of gravitational waves by means of a laser interferometer of 600 m armlength. Gravitational waves are extremely small ripples in the structure of spacetime caused by astrophysical events like supernovae or coalescing massive binaries (neutron stars, black holes). They have been predicted by Albert Einstein in 1916, but not yet directly observed. By listening to gravitational waves - tiny ripples in spacetime - astronomers will gain unique insights into black holes, neutron stars and the Big Bang.

 READ MORE »