NASA confirms it’s developing a time zone for the Moon by 2026
NASA has announced that it is working on creating a time zone for the moon.
Time moves differently on the moon due to its weaker gravity. According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, time on the Moon is slightly faster than on Earth. An Earth clock on the Moon would be off by about 56 microseconds a day, which could cause problems for future space missions that need exact timing.
Called "Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC)," this new time system will be set using a group of atomic clocks on the moon, similar to how we use Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on Earth. However, they haven’t decided where exactly to place the clocks, and because of the moon's conditions, these clocks may run a little faster by a few microseconds each day. Establishing this lunar time zone will help future lunar missions and make sure astronauts stay safe, despite the time difference.
“To put these numbers into perspective, a hummingbird’s wings flap about 50 times per second,” NASA wrote in their announcement. “Each flap is about .02 seconds, or 20,000 microseconds. So, while 56 microseconds may seem miniscule, when discussing distances in space, tiny bits of time add up.”
“For something traveling at the speed of light, 56 microseconds is enough time to travel the distance of approximately 168 football fields,” said Cheryl Gramling, lead on lunar position, navigation, timing, and standards at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “If someone is orbiting the Moon, an observer on Earth who isn’t compensating for the effects of relativity over a day would think that the orbiting astronaut is approximately 168 football fields away from where the astronaut really is.”
NASA's Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) program will lead the creation of the lunar time zone, called LTC. The White House has given them the goal to finish the project by the end of 2026.
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