On August 17, 2017, the universe sent a message that, for the first time, humans were able to decode. Two neutron stars collided in space, sending both gravitational waves and electromagnetic waves barreling toward Earth. The combination of signals from those two sets of waves provided the key to unlocking a secret trapped in the cosmos for billions of years. Northwestern University's CIERA astronomy research center already played a key role in solving one cosmic mystery, and they are likely to solve many more as this new field of multi-messenger astronomy develops.