Changes

==Description==

==Description==

Gravitational waves are essentially "ripples", similar to the ripples made in a pond when a pebble is tossed in, but on a cosmological scale.  The mass in question are binary systems - pulsars, neutron stars, or black holes - which orbit around each other.  According to Einstein's [[General relativity|General Theory of Relativity]] and his formula [[e=mc^2|E=mc²]], both objects emit gravitational waves while losing energy as they gradually approach, eventually resulting in a collision at one-half the speed of light, forming a single object as well as emitting a final, very strong burst of gravitational waves

Gravitational waves are essentially "ripples", similar to the ripples made in a pond when a pebble is tossed in, but on a cosmological scale.  The mass in question are binary systems - pulsars, neutron stars, or black holes - which orbit around each other.  According to Einstein's [[General relativity|General Theory of Relativity]], both objects emit gravitational waves while losing energy as they gradually approach, eventually resulting in a collision at one-half the speed of light, forming a single object as well as emitting a final, very strong burst of gravitational waves

As part of his relativity theory, Einstein came up with his "quadrupole formula", which describes the rate of wave emissions from a system of astronomical masses based on the change of the mass itself, what he called the "quadrupole moment". His formula as originally postulated was

As part of his relativity theory, Einstein came up with his "quadrupole formula", which describes the rate of wave emissions from a system of astronomical masses based on the change of the mass itself, what he called the "quadrupole moment". His formula as originally postulated was