Chinese scientists have developed the world’s first software for keeping time on the moon. This new tool will help with precise navigation and safe landings as countries compete in a new space race to the moon.
Time on the moon runs slightly faster than on Earth because of the weaker gravity. Clocks on the moon gain about 56 millionths of a second per day. Although this difference is tiny, it adds up over time, making Earth-based clocks less reliable for lunar missions.
To solve this, a team from the Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing created a model that considers both the moon’s weaker gravity and its movement through space. This allows lunar events to stay accurately synced with Earth clocks.
The researchers say their method is extremely precise, staying accurate to within a few tens of nanoseconds even over 1,000 years, according to a study published in the December issue of Astronomy and Astrophysics.
This lunar timekeeping software is expected to play a key role in future moon exploration and global lunar projects.