A2_6 Don't Weight For Me, Lois

Abstract

This paper details the calculation of time dilation observers would perceive of the fictional comic book character, Superman, were he to fly to the star closest to Earth, Proxima Centauri. The Lorentz factor was calculated to be 5.025, assuming Superman was flying at 0.98 times the speed of light. In addition, we calculated that observers on Earth would perceive Superman flying overhead, to be 0.38m long, given a rest length of 1.905 m. The time Lois Lane would experience, stationary on Earth, if Superman were to fly to Proxima Centauri, at this top speed, would be 43.72 years. Superman, however would experience just 8.7 years to have passed. The relativistic mass of Superman, flying at this speed was also calculated to be 522.6 kg from a rest mass of 104 kg.