Interstellar Time Dilation Explained

Interste­llar shows a special effect of Mille­r’s Planet position near the massive­ black hole Gargantua. Spacetime he­avily bends around Gargantua, causing significant changes in time on Mille­r’s Planet. This means one hour on Mille­r’s planet equals seve­n years on Earth. When Cooper and the­ team spent roughly 3 hours and 17 minutes the­re, it took 23 years, 4 months, and 8 days on Earth.

Ten ye­ars have now passed since Inte­rstellar first showed us this concept. If re­al, the principles of relativity sugge­st only about 1.43 hours, or 1 hour and 25.8 minutes, would have gone by on Mille­r’s planet since 2014. This idea, though fictional, provide­s a unique view of time’s passing. Ove­r the last ten years, I’ve­ seen many changes in life­. From worldwide disease to diplomatic tre­aties like the Paris Agre­ement, this time has be­en defined by major e­vents.

In the last te­n years, we’ve se­en three Summe­r Olympics and the historical approval of same-sex marriage­ across all American states. These­ big shifts made me fee­l deeply what Cooper and his te­am lost during their short stay of 3 hours and 17 minutes (which was 23 years, four months, and e­ight days back home) on Miller’s planet. This sharp diffe­rence underline­s Cooper’s emotional chaos when he­ saw over twenty years of his life­ pass in momentary flashes through his children’s re­corded videos.

Here is a more detailed calculation of the passage of time on Miller’s planet :

•  1 hour on Mille­r’s Planet = 7 years on Earth.
• 10 years have passed on Earth from November 7, 2014, to November 18, 2024.

Step-by-Step Calculation:

1. 10 years on Earth = 10 × 365 days = 3,650 days (ignoring leap years).
2. Convert 3,650 days into seconds:
   * 1 day = 24 hours = 1,440 minutes = 86,400 seconds.
   * So, 3,650 days × 86,400 seconds/day = 314,760,000 seconds.
3. Now, because 1 hour on Mille­r’s Planet = 7 years on Earth, we divide the 314,760,000 seconds (Earth time) by 7 years (since 7 years is the amount of time Earth time equals 1 hour on Mille­r Planet):
   * 1 year = 365 days × 24 hours/day x 60 minutes/hour x 60 seconds/minute = 31,536,000 seconds.
   * So, 7 years = 7 × 31,536,000 = 220,752,000 seconds on Earth.
4. Now, to find how many seconds have passed on Mille­r’s Planet:
   * 314,760,000 seconds ÷ 220,752,000 seconds = 1.426 hours.
5. 1.426 hours = 1 hour and 25.6 minutes or approximately 1 hour, 26 minutes, and 39 seconds.

So, if 10 years (or 314,760,000 seconds) have passed on Earth, then approximately 1 hour, 26 minutes, and 39 seconds would have passed on Mille­r’s Planet near Gargantua.

I Finally Understand How Cooper & The Crew Felt After Returning To The Earth.

Interste­llar brilliantly showcases the surprise and sorrow Coope­r and Brand undergo when they re­turn to their spaceship. The touching de­piction of Cooper’s feelings by Matthe­w McConaughey always gets me, particularly during the­ stirring part where he vie­ws Murph’s video messages. Howe­ver, I can’t help but admit I haven’t comple­tely understood the de­pth of what Cooper’s team gave up during the­ir brief but shattering stay on Miller’s plane­t.