LIGO Detects Most Massive Black Hole Merger Ever, Defying Existing Models

The LIGO Collaboration announced the detection of GW231123, the most massive black hole merger ever observed. The merger resulted in a black hole over 225 times the mass of our Sun, a finding that challenges existing stellar evolution models. The two progenitor black holes, weighing 137 and 103 solar masses respectively, defied expectations of a stable merger. Scientists hypothesize that these black holes may have formed through prior mergers of smaller black holes. This discovery presents a significant challenge to our understanding of black hole formation and offers invaluable data for future research.