Scientists have discovered that time seemed to move five times slower when the universe was approximately 1 billion years old.

This revelation was made through the study of quasars, a type of black hole known for its ferocity.

The researchers observed that compared to the present, things appeared to be in slow motion during this period.

Published in the journal Nature Astronomy, the study examined 190 quasars over a span of two decades in various wavebands.

The findings confirmed Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, which stated that the distant universe moved at a much slower pace. This cosmic time dilation phenomenon was identified and supported by the research.

Prior to this study, scientists had used supernovas, extremely bright exploding stars, as cosmic clocks to demonstrate that time ran twice as slowly when the universe was half its current age.

However, new research indicates that just over a billion years after the Big Bang, time actually flowed five times slower.

According to Geraint Lewis, an astrophysicist at the University of Sydney and the lead author of the new study, although things may appear to have slowed down in distant places, the experience of time in these locations is not actually different.

Lewis explained that if he could magically transport someone back 10 billion years and place them next to one of these quasars, time would still progress normally. He emphasised that one second would still be one second.

Quasars, supermassive black holes located at the centres of galaxies far away, are considered to be the brightest and most powerful objects in the entire universe.

According to Lewis, this characteristic of quasars makes them extremely valuable for mapping out the universe.

Additionally, this research confirms the accuracy of Einstein's theories once again, he said.

Nature Astronomy

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