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Around-the-World Atomic Clocks: Observed Relativistic Time Gains
Abstract
Four cesium beam clocks flown around the world on commercial jet flights during October 1971, once eastward and once westward, recorded directionally dependent time differences which are in good agreement with predictions of conventional relativity theory. Relative to the atomic time scale of the U.S. Naval Observatory, the flying clocks lost 59 ± 10 nanoseconds during the eastward trip and gained 273 ± 7 nanoseconds during the westward trip, where the errors are the corresponding standard deviations. These results provide an unambiguous empirical resolution of the famous clock "paradox" with macroscopic clocks.
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“This eventually led to the famous test of Hafele and Keating [10, 11], who flew four caesium beam clocks around the world on commercial jet flights during October 1971. They predicted and measured the desynchronization of the proper times of these commercial atomic clocks with respect to the USNO atomic scale, and thus verified the gravitational redshift effect with an accuracy of around 12% 2 .”
From Chronometric Geodesy: Methods and Applications (2019) · cites this paper as [11]
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Research works printed but not linked: 12
- BEEHLER, R.E., METEROLOGIA 1: 114 (1965). · DOI
- BODILY, L, HEWLETT-PACKARD JOURNAL 19: 12 (1967).
- HAFELE, J.C., RELATIVISTIC TIME FOR TERRESTRIAL CIRCUMNAVIGATIONS, AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS 40: 81 (1972). · DOI
- 10.1126/science.177.4044.166 · DOI · Paper page
- Hafele J. C. Proceedings of the Third Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Strategic Planning Meeting 1 (1971).
- Hafner E. Proceedings of the Third Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Strategic Planning Meeting 1 (1971).
- Hall, R. G., Proceedings 15th Annual Symoposium on Frequency Control: 168 (1961).
- Markowitz, W., Proceedings of the 13th Annual Symposium on Frequency Control: 316 (1959).
- MUNGALL, A.G., ATOMIC TIME SCALES, METROLOGIA 7: 146 (1971). · DOI
- NEWCOMB, S, AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND ARTS 8: 161 (1874).
- SITTER, W.D., BULLETIN OF THE ASTRONOMICAL INSTITUTES OF THE NETHERLANDS 4: 21 (1927).
- WINKLER, G. M. R., METROLOGIA 6: 126 (1970). · DOI
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Chronometric Geodesy: Methods and Applications
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“ic of this chapter to explain how atomic clock comparisons and the building of timescales can 1Resolution 1 of the 13th CGPM [7]. 2This is based on the numbers given in table 1 of [10] and table 1 of [11]: the relative accuracy of the gravitational part of the relativistic shift eect is taken as ( p 18 2+ 10 + 72 ns)=…”
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Chronometric measurement of orthometric height differences by means of atomic clocks
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Metadata
- Authors
- Hafele, J. C., & Keating, R. E.
- Affiliations
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- Time Service Division, U.S. Naval Observatory, Washington, D.C. 20390
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 1972-07-14
- Volume
- 177
- Issue
- 4044
- Pages
- 168-170
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2093329327
- Cited by
- 356
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 39 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 1.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Relativity and Gravitational Theory
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Advanced Frequency and Time Standards
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Networks and Communications › Network Time Synchronization Technologies
- Keywords
- time dilation, special relativity, twin paradox
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