Recently, scientists observed the merger of giant ‘blackholes’ billions of light-years away from the Earth.

What is the significance of this observation?

Correct Option: ‘Gravitational waves’ were detected.

Detailed Explanation:

In 2015, scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) made a historic observation by directly detecting gravitational waves for the first time in human history. These waves were produced by the collision and merger of two massive black holes located over a billion light-years away from Earth.

Gravitational waves are ripples or distortions in the fabric of space-time predicted by Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity in 1916. When extremely massive objects—such as colliding black holes or neutron stars—accelerate, they emit energy in the form of gravitational waves that travel across space at the speed of light.

The successful detection of these waves confirmed a key prediction of Einstein's theory and opened a whole new field of astrophysics, allowing scientists to observe cosmic events that do not emit light.