Astronomers have found an unexpected asymmetry in stars escaping from their clusters, and it can’t be easily explained by our standard theories of gravity
The Hyades star cluster has a strange distribution of stars that could be explained by an alternative theory of gravity
NASA, ESA, and STScI
A strange effect in clusters of stars is bringing our ideas of how gravity works into question. These star clusters seem to have an unexpected asymmetry, which fits better under an alternate theory of gravity called modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) than under Albert Einstein’s widely accepted theories.
Clusters of stars, which orbit the centre of their galaxy, typically look a bit like a two-armed pinwheel with opposing tails – …