Time Dilation Explained: Why Moving Clocks Run Slow

Time dilation is a prediction of Einstein’s special relativity: moving clocks tick slower than stationary ones.
The effect only becomes noticeable at speeds close to the speed of light.
To an astronaut on a fast spaceship, time passes normally—but looks slower to people on Earth.
This means two observers in relative motion can disagree on how much time has passed.
The famous “twin paradox” illustrates how a traveling twin ages less than the one who stays home.
Time dilation has been measured with precise atomic clocks flown on airplanes.
GPS satellites experience both special and general relativity corrections to keep accurate time.
The faster you move, the more extreme the time stretching becomes.
Time dilation protects the cosmic speed limit by balancing time and space measurements.
Without accounting for time dilation, modern technology like navigation systems would fail within hours.