Hanford detectors

Hanford detectors are highly sensitive instruments used to observe gravitational waves—ripples in spacetime caused by massive cosmic events like black hole mergers. These detectors use large laser interferometers, where laser beams travel down two long perpendicular arms. When a gravitational wave passes, it slightly alters the length of these arms, which the detectors measure as changes in the laser signals. Hanford, located in Washington State, is one of the key sites for the global network detecting these waves, helping astronomers understand cosmic phenomena through precise measurements of spacetime distortions.