Thread: Time Dilation in Orbit

Do astronauts experience time dilation?

Of course, I'm referring to space station missions and similar, when they just orbit the earth.

I've always heard (from non-physicists) that they do. But I don't see how, unless they are in a faster state of motion, orbiting, than we are, revolving.

Yes, according to NASA

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/..._letter13.html

you always experence time dilation.
you just have to move or stand still,cince earth is rotating.
the time difference would be extremely small though.

a question:

if we (our galaxie) is orbiting around the universe, around the middle of the universe is time slowed down for us(well, if some lifeform would live in the middle of the univese, we would stand still wor hime, time would be like frozen, theorettically)? it must be a extremely high speed that we are wondering though space, relative to the middle of the universe that we are circling.

Originally Posted by miomaz

you always experence time dilation.
you just have to move or stand still,cince earth is rotating.
the time difference would be extremely small though.

a question:

if we (our galaxie) is orbiting around the universe, around the middle of the universe is time slowed down for us(well, if some lifeform would live in the middle of the univese, we would stand still wor hime, time would be like frozen, theorettically)? it must be a extremely high speed that we are wondering though space, relative to the middle of the universe that we are circling.

I say yes, from the lifeform's perspective. And time should be slowed down for the middle of the universe from our perspective.

middle of the universe? Um, how exactly do you come up with that notion if the universe is homogeneous and isotropic in the large?

Originally Posted by miomaz

you always experence time dilation.
you just have to move or stand still,cince earth is rotating.
the time difference would be extremely small though.

a question:

if we (our galaxie) is orbiting around the universe, around the middle of the universe is time slowed down for us(well, if some lifeform would live in the middle of the univese, we would stand still wor hime, time would be like frozen, theorettically)? it must be a extremely high speed that we are wondering though space, relative to the middle of the universe that we are circling.

I don't think our galaxy is orbiting the 'centre of the universe', it's just moving in a direction determined by the mechanics of the big bang.

Originally Posted by Megabrain

I don't think our galaxy is orbiting the 'centre of the universe', it's just moving in a direction determined by the mechanics of the big bang.

Agreed. and the big bang didn't happen "In the centre of the universe". it happened "everywhere in the universe at the same time"

The futhest extremes of the universe at the moment and within a 0.0000000000*lots of zeros*0000000001 second aftewards were less than a metre apart. beyond that was the edge of the universe and didn't actually exist.

The thing to wrap your brain around is "Big Bang happened Everywhere at the same time" and not "In the middle throwing things out from the centre".

A subtle difference, but can be an important one.

it may be that there is no(well size of universe /2 middle of universe, still this isn't the point) "middle of the universe" but to some object/planet beeing we are moving in such a high speed that they would seem to be frozen?
it dosn't really matter what we are circulating( middle of universe, galaxie, around a black hole ect.) but could it be that parts of our universe, that are moving much faster than us are simply frozen,though time dilation (theoretticaly, yes...)

the centre of the universe isn't the big bang and dosn't have to do with it.
one cant define anything out of the universe because thats what the universe(mostly) does.(therefore it is true that the big bang happened "every where")
it is just the size of the universe /2 those coordinates are the centre of the universe. saying a center of a meshurable suface(object;qube...) cannot be calculated is impossible(only, if the size is unkown).