Crescents visit observatory in Livingston

Twenty-eight Cabrini High School students in AP and honors-level science classes were invited to attend a STEM-based field trip (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (LIGO) facility in Livingston, Louisiana. In September 2015, LIGO was credited with the discovery of gravitational waves, a major scientific breakthrough consistent with predictions Albert Einstein made in his 1915 theory of general relativity. The gravity waves are “ripples” in the fabric of space-time that provide evidence of cataclysmic events in the galaxy (such as the collision of two black holes) more than 1.3 billion years ago. The students and two science department members were able to experience hands-on, interactive experiments and demonstrations that explain how waves interact. As part of the facility tour, students were able to go into the laser control room and ask the scientists and engineers about the inner workings of the LIGO lab.