Since the first direct detection of the space-time ripples known as gravitational waves was announced in 2016, astronomers regularly listen for the ringing of black holes across the universe. Projects like the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory have detected almost 100 collisions between black holes , which shake up the fabric of the cosmos and send invisible waves rippling through space.
"When I calculated the gravitational waves from the vicinity of the black hole, I found another source disrupting my calculations — the cocoon," lead researcher Ore Gottlieb, an astronomer at Northwestern's Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics, said in a statement. The cocoon is a turbulent blob of gas, formed when the collapsing star's outer layers interact with the high-powered jets released from within.
According to Gottlieb's calculations, the ripples created by the cocoon should be easily detectable by LIGO during its next set of observations. Plus, cocoons emit light, so astronomers can obtain information about them with gravitational waves and telescopes at the same time — an exciting feat known as multi-messenger astronomy.