The concept of time dilation, which is the idea that time can be perceived differently for observers in different reference frames, is a fundamental aspect of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity. This theory has been extensively tested and verified through various experiments and observations.
One of the most famous experiments that confirmed time dilation is the Hafele-Keating experiment, conducted in 1971. In this experiment, atomic clocks were flown on commercial airliners traveling in opposite directions around the Earth. The experiment aimed to measure the time difference between the clocks on the planes and identical clocks that remained at rest on the ground. The results showed that the clocks on the planes, which were moving relative to the stationary clocks on the ground, experienced a measurable time dilation.
Furthermore, the theory of relativity has been verified through other experiments, such as the Pound-Rebka experiment, which involved measuring the gravitational redshift of light, and the GPS system, which relies on correcting for both special and general relativistic effects to ensure accurate positioning.
These experiments provide empirical evidence that supports the theory of relativity and the idea that time is relative to the velocity between the source and the observer. The predictions made by the theory have been consistently confirmed by experimental data, lending strong support to the notion of time dilation.