The time passes on the moon was more accurately calculated by a team of physicists from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology and compared with time on Earth. The paper describing the math used for these calculations and their results has been posted to the arXiv preprint server.
Over the past decade, several entities have made clear their intentions to intensify research and economic activities on the moon. Such activities have led many in the field to conclude that a standardized lunar time needs to be established—one that allows for synchronizing activities on the moon’s surface and with space vehicles in orbit around it, as well as those in transit between the moon and Earth.
As the research team points out, the reason such a standard needs to be created is that, as the general theory of relativity explains, time passes on the moon differently due to distortions in gravity.
The difference in size between the Earth and the moon means there is a difference in gravity, and thus, in the way time passes on the moon—it passes faster on the moon than on Earth. To ensure that activities like communications, docking, and landing of craft, which rely on high precision, proceed smoothly, a more precise measurement of the time differences between Earth and the moon must be made.
The team in California used mathematical calculations to determine the difference in time passage between Earth and the moon, and also between both bodies and the solar system’s barycenter.
In their calculations, the team found that time passes on the moon at a rate of 0.0000575 seconds faster per day (57.50 microseconds/day) than it does on Earth. Based on that number, other calculations can be made—if a person were to live on the moon for 274 years, for example, they would be 5.76 seconds older than they would be had they lived on Earth all that time.
This work by the team is just the first step in establishing a standardized lunar time; meetings will have to be held between various entities to develop agreements, ensuring that everyone involved in lunar activities is on the same timetable. Understanding precisely how time passes on the moon is crucial for future lunar missions and the establishment of a permanent human presence on the moon.
As more entities prepare for increased activity on the moon, the need to understand how time passes on the moon becomes increasingly important. This understanding will ensure seamless coordination and precision in various lunar operations.
