Category: Space > Time dilation
One of the most fascinating aspects of space is the phenomenon of gravitational time dilation, which occurs in the vicinity of massive celestial objects like black holes and neutron stars. According to Einstein's theory of general relativity, the stronger the gravitational field, the slower time moves relative to an observer farther away from that mass. This means that if you were to hover near a black hole, time for you would pass much slower than for someone far away in the universe. A practical example is the famous thought experiment involving the twin paradox: if one twin travels near a black hole and the other remains on Earth, the traveling twin would age significantly less than their Earth-bound sibling upon returning. This intriguing interplay between gravity and time not only challenges our perceptions but also has profound implications for space travel and our understanding of the cosmos.