"Study Challenges Overestimation of Dark Matter in Milky Way's Outer Stars"

New research from MIT suggests that the outer stars of the Milky Way are moving slower than expected, indicating a lighter core with less dark matter than previously thought. By analyzing data from the Gaia and APOGEE instruments, physicists found that the rotation curve of the galaxy remains flat until a certain distance, where it unexpectedly dips, implying a lower density of dark matter in the galactic core. This challenges current astronomical theories and may lead to a reconsideration of the state of equilibrium of the Milky Way.