According to information disseminated by V.G. Fesenkov Astrophysical Institute, on August 17, 2017, a gravitational signal was recorded. Two seconds after the signal from the space telescope, a gamma flash was detected. Within 10 hours, a telescope in Chile managed to find a source galaxy, after which urgent messages were sent to many observatories of the world. Over the following days, 70 local telescopes monitored the localization of the signal and the source galaxy.

The uniqueness of the cosmic event lies in the fact that it is a fusion of neutron stars-an event at which a "flare" can occur in the entire range of electromagnetic waves: in visible light, radio waves, x-ray and ultraviolet ranges, gamma rays. For the first time, a single space object was observed simultaneously with the help of a large number of instruments. The results of the study were published in 40 articles in the world's leading journals in the field of astronomy.

According to scientists, the localization of the source of gravitational waves is not just a scientific discovery, but in fact today mankind is witnessing the birth of a new era in astronomy, when it will be possible to "see" events in space not only through electromagnetic radiation, but also to try to "feel" through the gravitational waves remote corners of the universe.

Consequently, in astronomy there has come a turning point, when powerful events occurring in space can be observed through two independent channels: electromagnetic and gravitational.

Another unique moment: Kazakh astronomers are directly related to this historic event in science. The co-authors of the main article [http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/aa91c9] were several employees of V.G. Fesenkov Astrophysical Institute (M.A.Krugov, A.V.Kusakin, I.V.Reva) who, in the framework of the international collaboration, observed the afterglow of gamma-ray bursts in the Tien-Shan high-altitude observatory using a 1-meter “Tseiss-1000” telescope. These observations became part of a grandiose discovery, which will now forever go down in the history of astronomy.
In conclusion, it should be noted that regular observations of the afterglow of gamma-ray bursts at the observatories of V.G. Fesenkov Astrophysical Institute are funded by the Government of Kazakhstan in the framework of the grant No. 0075 / GF4.

For more details, see the website of the Astrophysical Institute named after V.G. Fesenkov.

Department of Public Relations of JSC “NCSSTE”.