Regarding “light clocks” and how moving clocks run slow: Does this mean that, if you were on the ISS or some other satellite, clocks on Earth run slow?

Question

I’m still very confused by how clocks could end up out of sync in this way. For example, if you were to send a clock into space, it “runs slow” for awhile, then bring it back to Earth, would it then be permanently “behind” unless it’s manually caught up?

In: Physics

Answer 1

The faster you go, the faster you move through time. Now consider how fast satellites are moving in space.

This is Einstein’s theory of special relativity.

“Earth observation satellites fly in orbits at altitudes of about 200 to 2,000 km, called low earth orbit, at a speed of about 28,800 km per hour.”