Embargoed until Thursday, 11 September 2025:

Prof. Eric Thrane, School of Physics and Astronomy at Monash University, Clayton, explains the significance of the Stephen Hawking Black Hole Area Theorem confirmation in a Space Show exclusive.

MONASH UNIVERSITY — MEDIA RELEASE

11/09/2025 | 08:13 AM AEST

Australian astrophysicists help prove Stephen Hawking’s landmark black hole prediction

A global team of astrophysicists, including Australians, witnessed a collision between two black holes that was so loud that they were able to use it to test and prove Stephen Hawking’s Theory of Black Hole Thermodynamics.

The event, observed by the LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA collaborations, involved two black holes merging to form a single, larger one, strikingly reminiscent of the historic first detection in 2015.

The research has been published in Physical Review Letters: doi.org/10.1103/kw5g-d732

(Image credit: OzGrav - ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery)