in consultation with

We review current best estimates of the strength and detectability of the gravi-tational waves from a variety of sources, for both ground-based and space-based detectors, and we describe the information carried by the waves. 1 Preamble Major relativity conferences such as GR16 traditionally include an overview talk on gravitational wave (GW) sources. Some excellent recent ones include those by Flanagan 1, Finn 2, and Bender et al. 3. Such talks are always by theorists, and can be described as basically informed speculation, since until now detectors sufficiently sensitive to detect GW’s have not existed. But km-scale laser interferometers (IFO’s) are now coming on-line, and it seems very likely these will detect mergers of compact binaries within the next seven years, and possibly much sooner. There are several other classes of sources that the ground-based IFO’s might well detect: massive star collapse (supernovae and hypernovae), rapidly rotating neutron stars, and possibly a GW stochastic background created in the early universe. A space-base