LIGO Hanford Observatory

LIGO uses cutting edge science to explore the secrets of the universe.

NPS/BURGHART

Quick Facts

Location:

Richland, WA

MANAGED BY:

LIGO

Amenities

2 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Restroom

In 1943, the federal government appropriated 670 square miles (1740 sq kilometers) of land in eastern Washington to build plutonium production facilities for the Manhattan Project. The federal government has operated the Hanford Sites since 1943, maintaining its isolation and limited commercial development. The size of the Hanford Site and its relative isolation helped fuel a new scientific project almost 50 years later.  

In 1992, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) was built near Hanford Site to detect gravitational wave vibrations from outer space. Its instruments, called interferometers, have arms that stretch to about 2.5 miles (4 km) long. The instruments are very sensitive to local vibrations like those from human activity. LIGO selected the Hanford area for one of its two interferometers because Hanford is still relatively isolated from a lot of human activity. The Hanford area also has the required space for the massive scientific project. Scientists use the instruments to help study major stellar events like the collision of black holes. 

LIGO is a modern example of Hanford’s history of high-technology research and scientific discovery that dates to the Manhattan Project and the construction of the B Reactor. The Tri-Cities community is known for scientific and technical innovation, especially in the field of physics.  
 
The LIGO Hanford Observatory has an exploration center called LExC and offers tours of its facility.  

Continue Your Journey   

 
Additional sites in the Tri-Cities sharing big science stories include the B Reactor, the world’s first full scale nuclear reactor, and the USS Triton Sail, part of a groundbreaking nuclear submarine now preserved and interpreted by the Port of Benton. Visit Tri-Cities provides a full list of science attractions in the Tri-Cities and STEM Itineraries to keep you and your family busy learning about cutting-edge science that is happening all around the area.