John W. Thorne

John W. Thorne was an influential American astronomer known for his work on black hole physics and gravitational physics. He contributed significantly to our understanding of how black holes behave, especially regarding their interactions with surrounding matter and their role in galaxy evolution. Thorne co-developed theories on the properties of black holes and worked on the detection of gravitational waves—ripples in spacetime predicted by Einstein. His research has helped shape modern astrophysics, making complex cosmic phenomena more comprehensible and laying the groundwork for groundbreaking discoveries such as the first direct observation of gravitational waves.