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From one observer's perspective, on all moving objects time will run slower. But from the perspective of one of those objects, it's the observer who's slow. And the answer seems to be that both are correct!

Then there are (correct) statements like the ISS runs slower than the Earth. Based on above how can this be true? Why not the other way around?

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  • $\begingroup$ i THINK in the ISS station example the all-important factor is that the ISS is going "out and back" all the time, that is to say .. circularly. if the ISS was simply a spaceship passing by us, the "looks the same from either side" concept applies. I believe the apparent paradox you outline is explained that simply. $\endgroup$
    – Fattie
    Commented Dec 12, 2015 at 18:15
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    $\begingroup$ Because the atomic clock we use/calibrate to is in Colorado? $\endgroup$
    – Kyle Kanos
    Commented Dec 12, 2015 at 18:34
  • $\begingroup$ Note also that your last sentence of the first paragraph answers your questions, no? $\endgroup$
    – Kyle Kanos
    Commented Dec 12, 2015 at 18:35
  • $\begingroup$ @KyleKanos no, if you put two twins one in earth, one on ISS, the person on earth will grow up faster. $\endgroup$
    – xyz
    Commented Dec 12, 2015 at 18:35
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    $\begingroup$ Derp derp. Helps to have one conversation at a time. ISS runs slow due to gravitational time dilation, not SR time dilation. See also this post $\endgroup$
    – Kyle Kanos
    Commented Dec 12, 2015 at 18:38

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That's a good question, and it highlights the fact that special relativity describes far more than just motion at a constant speed in a straight line, and therefore the Lorentz transformations. Confusion about time dilation is almost invariably due to taking an overly simplistic view of special relativity.

The only way two observers can directly compare their clocks is if they are at the sample place in space. Two observers in linear motion can directly compare their clocks only once because by definition they can never meet again. That's why both can conclude the other's clock is running slow without fear of contradiction.

However accelerated observers can compare their clocks more than once - the obvious example is the infamous twin paradox (which isn't a paradox, but that's a rant for another day). When two observers can directly compare their clocks twice, or more, there can be no ambiguity about which clock has been running slow.

The ISS moves in a circle around the Earth. In principle I can put an observer hovering in space in the path of the ISS, so the ISS passes the observer once every orbit. That observer and the astronauts on the ISS can compare their clocks whenever they meet, and when they do all parties will agree that the clocks on the ISS have run slower than the clock held by the hovering observer. That's why we say the clocks on the ISS are running slow.

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  • $\begingroup$ Yes, but if I go into the frame of reference of ISS, put an observer in the path of Earths orbit (ouch!), even then the earth clock will be faster. How does this asymmetry happen? (Both the Earth and the ISS are circularly accelerating) $\endgroup$
    – xyz
    Commented Dec 13, 2015 at 12:41
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    $\begingroup$ If I put two equal masses in orbit around each other, how do I say which is faster? $\endgroup$
    – xyz
    Commented Dec 13, 2015 at 12:48
  • $\begingroup$ @prakharsingh95: another good question, and I don't think I can usefully answer it in a comment. The question Will observers moving on a sphere experience time dilation? is related and might be interesting reading. $\endgroup$ Commented Dec 13, 2015 at 20:26

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