With the detection of gravitational waves from the mergers of compact objects astronomy has obtained a new window to study the Universe and in particular events inaccessible to any other method. The detection of electromagnetic radiation together with GWs from a neutron star - neutron star merger paved the way for true multi-messenger astronomy. Furthermore answered a large number of outstanding questions: the nature of short gamma-ray bursts and their connection to NS-NS merger, the speed of GWs and it even allowed an independent measurement of the Hubble constant. The next big thing in multi-messenger astronomy will be the detection of GWs, EM radiation and particles, e.g. neutrinos or cosmic rays from the same source. In this talk I will give an overview on the state of GW detections and their implications for astrophysics. I will talk about their connection to short GRBs and what we have learned so far. I will also give an outlook for the next observing run of LIGO and the more distant future of GW research, e.g. Galactic supernovae, and future facilities. Last I will also talk about the interplay between GWs, „traditional astronomy“ and particle physics and what we could learn from combining all these methods.

INDICO

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