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InquiringMind
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- TL;DR Summary
- Twin Paradox Question
I'm confused about something about the Twin Paradox. To keep it simple, let's ignore acceleration and deceleration.
Twin "A" heads for a point in space 5 light years away and returns at near the speed of light, while twin "B" remains on earth. Approximately 10 years passes for Twin "B" for the 10 light year trip. Due to time dilation, time slows down for the traveler Twin "A" so, when he returns, he has not aged as much as earthbound Twin "B". This is where I get lost. Although time is slower for traveler Twin "A", he is still making a 10 light year trip near the speed of light. So why isn't he also 10 years older when he returns, and the same age as his twin?
Twin "A" heads for a point in space 5 light years away and returns at near the speed of light, while twin "B" remains on earth. Approximately 10 years passes for Twin "B" for the 10 light year trip. Due to time dilation, time slows down for the traveler Twin "A" so, when he returns, he has not aged as much as earthbound Twin "B". This is where I get lost. Although time is slower for traveler Twin "A", he is still making a 10 light year trip near the speed of light. So why isn't he also 10 years older when he returns, and the same age as his twin?