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New York Post
The moon will get its own time zone as space travel aims for human returns — here’s why
By Alex Mitchell,
1 day ago
Greenwich moon time?
As NASA strides to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since the early 1970s , astronomical experts say that the orbital rock needs its own localized time zone.
Why?
Simply because Earthly clocks won’t get the job done due to changes in gravity off-world.
Experts are calling to create a time zone on the moon for an important reason. Getty Images
A new paper from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) explains that even the most efficient terrestrial clocks, which stay in rhythm using atomic principles, would tick slightly quicker at a rate of 56 microseconds per day on the moon, where gravity is weaker.
Experts could tweak the UTC for space exploration purposes.
“It’s like having the entire moon synchronized to one ‘time zone’ adjusted for the moon’s gravity, rather than having clocks gradually drift out of sync with Earth’s time,” NIST physicist Bijunath Patla said .
It is currently unknown whether there would be just one or several time zones on the moon.
The moon getting its own “time zone” is critical to future space exploration. Shutterstock / Dima Zel
Lunar Coordinate Time would also play a role in navigating space and the moon, added NIST physicist Neil Ashby. Specifically, it would lay the work for a “system similar to GPS” but on the moon, he said.
Palta is confident that this approach could be utilized for frontiers beyond just our lunar surface, too.
“The proposed framework underpinning lunar coordinate time could eventually enable exploration beyond the moon and even beyond our solar system,” the expert said.
The moon will need its own time zone due to changes in gravity. AFP via Getty Images
Specifically, Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity first addressed the concept that time can move slower under different gravitational conditions.
In this case, the changes happen in part due to the moon orbiting around the Earth and our planet’s revolution around the sun.
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