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Showing posts with the label atomic clocks

Why Scientists Say We Need To Send Clocks To The Moon — Soon

The inherent challenge of timekeeping in our universe is one of its greatest mysteries.    The fact that seconds pass slightly faster atop mountains than in the valleys may not impact daily life on Earth, but with nations vying to establish permanent settlements on the moon, these time discrepancies have gained new significance. The Lunar Time Conundrum On the moon, an Earth day would be approximately 56 microseconds shorter. Though this might seem negligible, it can lead to significant inconsistencies over time. NASA and its international partners are not merely aiming to create a new lunar "time zone," but rather an entirely new "time scale" that accounts for the faster passage of seconds on the moon. This initiative is critical as the U.S. and its allies, along with China, are rapidly advancing plans to establish permanent lunar bases. A memo from the White House has directed NASA to develop a method for tracking lunar time by December 31 and to implement this sy...