Astronomy on the Web

Shayne Rebello

10135757

July 9th 2017

The effects of gravity on the passage of time

https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceGifs/comments/4ebuh5/general_relativity_conceptual_illustration_of/

One of the most baffling and interesting parts of this course centered around our discussion on gravity
and its effects. While it is common knowledge that large bodies of mass have an effect of attracting
smaller bodies of mass I did not know that gravity has an effect on time. However, after learning about
gravity and how the gravitational force of the Earth causes time distortions for satellites in orbit, I
became interested in learning more about this phenomenon in order to deepen my understanding.

This animation clearly and simply shows Einsteins concept of general relativity in a 3 dimensional
setting and how time passes at different rates depending on its proximity to a large body of mass. As can
be seen, time passes relatively slowly near the massive object while time passes much faster away from
the object. I found this animation useful because initially I had a tough time conceptualizing this idea
visually. Firstly, I had trouble visualizing space time in a 3-dimensional format. Usually, the fabric of
space time is depicted as a 2-dimensional piece of cloth on which planets/stars rest (fig 1). However, in
reality, space time surrounds and envelopes astronomical bodies which is a difficult concept to visualize
without the aid of this animation. Secondly, I had difficulty visualizing how the passage of time changes
as one moves farther or closer away from the center of a massive object. This animation clearly shows
this concept however it must be noted that this effect is extremely exaggerated. The effects of time
dilation is extremely small and likely would not be as noticeable to human observation. This animation
appears to show an extremely exaggerated effect in an effort to highlight this concept which is fine
however, the author fails to mention that the gravitational effects on time are much smaller than
indicated. Despite this shortcoming I found this animation to be extremely useful and I feel that it would
benefit future students learning about the effects of gravity.

Figure 1
Thermohaline Circulation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02NRKzemXYE

This short excerpt from Al Gore expands upon a topic that was briefly discussed in the class on global
warming. As discussed, the suns rays heat up the earth and this energy is transferred around the globe
by wind and ocean currents. As someone who enjoys fishing and the beaches I wanted to know more
about the oceans role in heat dissipation and why it is so important to our environment.

This video highlights the important role that ocean currents have in transferring heat from the equator
to Europe and northern latitudes. As explained, warm, fresh water near the equator is drawn polewards
where it cools and releases its heat. This energy that is released is responsible for heating up much of
Europe. After this water releases its heat, it begins to cool and becomes more saline. As a result of this
increase in salinity and decrease in temperature, the water becomes more dense, sinks deep below the
surface and flows back towards the equator. This conveyer belt like process is known as the
thermohaline circulation and despite its importance in regulating global temperatures, this video shows
how global warming puts this process at risk. As global surface temperatures rise, ice caps will melt and
introduce gallons of fresh water into the northern Atlantic Ocean. As a result, there will be less of a
salinity and density difference between the warm surface water from the equator and the deep cold
currents. Due to the lack of density gradient warm water will not be drawn towards the poles and this
circulation system and the means of transferring heat will shut down. Al Gore goes on to highlight how
an ice age was induced in Europe after fresh water made its way into the North Atlantic. The increase in
fresh water halted the thermohaline circulation of ocean currents and prevented warm equatorial water
from moving north wards and warming Europe. Overall I thought that this short clip provides a little
deeper understanding of the oceans important role in regulating global temperatures than what was
discussed in class. Initially I found that the concept of the ocean redistributing heat a difficult concept to
understand. Furthermore, I had no idea that global warming could pose a threat to this redistribution
system and the devastating effect it could have. However this video provides a concrete historical
example of the importance and fragility of this system. I feel that my understanding of this concept has
been enhanced through this video and I have a greater appreciation for the complex and delicate
balance between the aspects of the global temperate regulation system.