LIGO facts for kids

A simplified schematic of the LIGO detector

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is a large-scale physics observatory which detects cosmic gravitational waves. They were first funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and were conceived, built and are operated by Caltech and MIT. The NSF has funded improvements for LIGO to increase sensitivity, which allowed them to make the first detection of gravitational waves. LIGO is the largest and most ambitious project ever funded by the NSF.

Images for kids

LIGO Hanford Observatory
Partial view of a leg of the LIGO interferometer.
LIGO Laboratory operates two detector sites, one near Hanford in eastern Washington, and another near Livingston, Louisiana. This photo shows the Livingston detector site.
Detector noise curves for Initial and Advanced LIGO as a function of frequency. They lie above the bands for space-borne detectors like the evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA) and pulsar timing arrays such as the European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA). The characteristic strains of potential astrophysical sources are also shown. To be detectable the characteristic strain of a signal must be above the noise curve. These frequencies that aLIGO can detect are in the range of human hearing.
Western leg of LIGO interferometer on Hanford Reservation
Northern leg (x-arm) of LIGO interferometer on Hanford Reservation
Simplified diagram of an Advanced LIGO detector (not to scale).