Science Illustrated

GRAVITY GLITCH: Stars point to an error in Newton’s law

WAS NEWTON WRONG?

When a new satellite is launched into orbit around Earth, its path is calculated using Newton’s law of gravity: an equation from more than 300 years ago. Astronomy and astrophysics remain dependent on this equation: it provides the underlying basis of all scientific study of the motions of stars and galaxies.

But now there are new observations that show some stars in the Milky Way moving in a way that seems to be inconsistent with Newton’s law of gravity.

Either the observations are wrong, or perhaps require further analysis – or the unimaginable may need to be faced: perhaps Newton was wrong. A handful of bold scientists

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