What time is in Spain? And in Mexico? What time is in Australia? Of course, you were able to answer all these questions. If not in the head, at least with a quick search in Google. Now let’s look at another question: What time is on the moon? This is much more difficult to answer, mainly because our satellite does not have its own spindle. Therefore, the Government of the United States has just written a law for its implementation.
Until now, the time used in missions to the moon is the place where the launch occurred. Cabo Cañaveral, French Guyana, Kazakhstan… It all depends on the space agency and the selected port. However, on the moon, like Mars, you must take into account Relativistic effects. That is, in order to establish how much time on the moon, parameters such as relative speed or proximity to gravitational fields should be considered.
In 2024 it was calculated that time on the surface of the lunar 0.0000575 times faster that on the surface of the earth every day. It may seem trifles, but in something as accurate as space trips, are able to change the situation. This makes it necessary to take measures, so this law has just been proposed that has just been proposed in the near future.
Why do you need to calculate the time on the moon?
As NASA explained last year in a statement on this issue, Atomic clock on the moon They do not mark time in the same way as on Earth. Difference This is a microsecond questionAs was done in this study of 2024, and this is very relevant in spatial issues.
Cheryl GramlingThe chief researcher of Lunar and NASA navigation studies explained this with this example:
“For something that travels at the speed of light, 56 microseconds are enough time to pass the distance of approximately 168 football fields. If someone rotates on the moon, the observer on Earth, who does not compensate for the consequences of relativity during the day, will think that the astronaut in orbit of about 168 football fields actually.
This is when you want to calculate The best trajectory for good lunar landingFor example, this is important. If this is not taken into account, the result can be catastrophic. It is true that this is usually considered to some extent, but there is no established fixed template. That’s why You need a coordinated lunar houras coordinated universal time (UTC).
NASA began to work in April last year. Since then they have done Settlements with atomic hours. This scientific part is already ready. Now the political part of the whole issue is coming. This can be a reality later.
The issue of bureaucracy
The United States Government published a project in March last year Law on the standardization of heavenly timesThe field then began the initial campaign, which ended with the first Approval of the Committee on Science, Space and Technologies of the House of Representatives of the United States April 29. Now it will go to Voting in the SenateA field if it is also approved, it will arrive directly to the White House, which will be signed as the law Donald TrumpThe President recently made some changes in the point of view of trips to the moon, but have never demonstrated opposition to this problem, therefore, most likely, we will soon establish Moon time.
This, in addition, will also be applied to Trips to MarsWhere relativistic phenomena also play an important role. So, when we live. Now we do not need to worry only about the time when it is in another part of the world. We must also carefully calculate how time goes beyond our planet.
Source: Hiper Textual
