One of the most prominent applications of the inverse square law in astrophysics is in the understanding of Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation. According to this law, the gravitational force between two objects is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers. Mathematically, it is expressed as:
F = G * (m1 * m2) / r²
Here, G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the objects, and r is the distance between the centers of the two objects. This law helps explain the gravitational interactions between celestial bodies such as planets, stars, and galaxies.
