The Star on the Edge Of Forever
Astronomers find a star perilously close to a supermassive black hole
As early as 1859 scholars knew something was wrong with Mercury. The planet was refusing to follow the established laws of physics; subtly shifting its orbit with every revolution. It was a small effect, but a significant one: adding up to an error that could easily be measured over the decades.
Eventually physicists realised the problem lay in the law of gravity itself: that the cherished theories of Newton were flawed. Resolving it would take more than a half a century, and the application of a mind as brilliant as that of Einstein. His Theory of General Relativity — a piece of work unrivalled in its sheer genius and beauty — perfectly accounted for the unexpected motion of the charred innermost world of our Solar System.
Later studies showed the same error had afflicted the motions of all the known planets. But only for Mercury, so close to the Sun, was the effect strong enough to be visible. Might modern day astronomers draw inspiration from this tale? Once again they are on the hunt for a new theory of gravity, one that can unify the laws of the small — subatomic particles and their ilk — with the laws of the big — black holes and neutron stars. And, once again, they are turning to objects of cosmic importance in search…
