what is time?
Time, a fundamental concept in our everyday lives, takes on a more complex and intriguing definition in the realm of astrophysics. While we often perceive time as a linear progression, the cosmos reveals a more nuanced understanding of its nature. In Newtonian physics, time was considered absolute and independent of space. It flowed uniformly, unaffected by gravity or motion. However, Einstein's theory of relativity revolutionized our perception of time, intertwining it with space into a four-dimensional fabric known as spacetime. This theory unveiled the concept of time dilation, where time can pass at different rates depending on an observer's relative velocity or gravitational potential. In the vast expanse of the universe, time is influenced by the presence of massive celestial bodies. Near black holes, with their immense gravitational pull, time can slow down significantly compared to regions farther away. This phenomenon, known as gravitational time dilation, has practica...