Telescope looks for ripples in space

Since the detection of gravitational waves, scientists have been eager to find electromagnetic signals corresponding to them. This will be an important task for China's space telescope, the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope, which will be launched soon.

Gravitational waves are "ripples" in the fabric of space-time caused by some of the most violent and energetic processes in the universe. Albert Einstein predicted their existence in 1916, saying that massive accelerating objects, such as neutron stars or black holes orbiting each other, would disrupt space-time in such a way that "waves" of distorted space would radiate from the source, like ripples away from a stone thrown into a pond.

These ripples would travel at the speed of light through the universe, carrying with them information about their origins and invaluable clues to the nature of gravity itself.