So... NASA is gonna spend the next two years to come up with a system of measuring time on the moon.
Apparently they have already decided to not call it moon-time but Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC).
www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-03/nasa-to-create-time-standard-for-the-moon/103661032
Other than the fact Coordinated Lunar Time should be CLT, they should just save their money (and time), because it's already been done;
This is the problem.
"An Earth-based clock on the Moon would appear to lose on average 58.7 microseconds per Earth-day."
Time is relative, not universal, it depends on the speed you're going and the strength of gravity.
So the same atomic clocks we use on earth will be out of sync with one on the moon. gps navigation relies on this being accurate. I'll let the experts come up with a solution
Wonder how long until rich chinese and indians with fake money start eating dark matter as a delicacy
www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-11-29/atomic-clock-physics-relativity-satellite-geodesy-ytterbium/10553936
maybe i should be scurrying in the center of the earth for some rather then doing my annual tokay gecko hunt in the jungles of cagayan de oro
This is the problem.
"An Earth-based clock on the Moon would appear to lose on average 58.7 microseconds per Earth-day."
Time is relative, not universal, it depends on the speed you're going and the strength of gravity.
So the same atomic clocks we use on earth will be out of sync with one on the moon. gps navigation relies on this being accurate. I'll let the experts come up with a solution
Well if you're receiving a GPS signal you also have a time sync signal as part of the data packet. Why not just use that and run on earth time? Why need a standalone clock?
Just running this randomly through my brain, not sure how relevant the below is.
Computers need an internal clock, maybe it's something to do with that.
The GPS signal has to be adjusted to UTC from earth clocks, space clocks run on their own time.
Once you're on the far side of the moon you get no earth gps signal, so you need the moon's gps signal.
Maybe they have to agree on a time sync period, so all clocks adjust simultaneously.
Way over my head I can't give a definite answer.
...Why need a standalone clock?
The Soup Dragon is not in-sync with Earth clocks.
If you don't sync to moon time the Soup Dragon will visit the soup well to collect green soup and it will not even be the Clangers tea time.
Chaos will then reign for a 1,000 years.
"Atomic clocks are used onboard GPS satellites that orbit the Earth, but even they must be sent updates two times per day to correct the clocks' natural drift. Those updates come from more stable atomic clocks on the ground that are large (often the size of a refrigerator) and not designed to survive the physical demands of going to space."
I'm thinking one of those less stable atomic clocks could be set up for the moon, with updates taking over two seconds to arrive.
Or we could use NASA's Deep Space Atomic Clock ... www.nasa.gov/missions/tech-demonstration/deep-space-atomic-clock/five-things-to-know-about-nasas-deep-space-atomic-clock/