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Antimatter falls like matter, upholding Einstein’s theory of gravity

In a first, scientists dropped antihydrogen atoms and measured how they fell

An illustration of antimatter falling under the influence of gravity.

Using strong magnetic fields, scientists trapped antihydrogen atoms before releasing them and watching them fall under the influence of gravity (illustrated).

U.S. National Science Foundation

By Emily Conover

It’s official: Antimatter falls down, not up.

In a first-of-its-kind experiment, scientists dropped antihydrogen atoms and watched them fall, showing that gravity attracts antimatter toward Earth, rather than repelling it.

The study confirms a pillar of Einstein’s general theory of relativity known as the weak equivalence principle.