Events appear to unfold five times slower when universe was a tenth of its present age, in effect predicted by Einstein.
Astronomers have watched the distant universe running in slow motion, marking the first time that the weird effect predicted by Einstein more than a century ago has been observed in the early cosmos.
The scientists found that events appeared to unfold five times slower when the universe was a mere 1bn years old, or about a tenth of its present age, because of the way the expansion of the universe stretches time.
“We see things changing about five times slower than today,” said Geraint Lewis, a professor of astrophysics and lead author of the study at the University of Sydney. “It’s like watching a movie with the speed turned down.”
According to Einstein’s theory of general relativity, astronomers should see ancient cosmic events happen more slowly than modern ones. The effect, known as time dilation, is driven by the expansion of the universe, as laid out in the scientist’s fundamental exposition of gravity in 1915.