Neutron star discovery marks breakthrough for 'multi-messenger astronomy'

Scientists are no longer just talking about it. After decades of theorizing, we're now actually in a new era of astronomy, defined by the capability to peer into the universe through multiple, distinct lenses. The first detections of gravitational waves opened the door for this so-called multi-messenger astronomy. And now, with a highly publicized announcement Monday, astrophysicists have walked through that door.

Four times over the past two years, astronomers detected gravitational waves emanating from merging black holes. These detections were all made by scientists at the US-based Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). Its European counterpart, VIRGO, collaborated