The Moon is getting Time Zones

[TC Talks]

I wonder if it will have daylight savings time...

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - The White House on Tuesday directed NASA to establish a unified standard of time for the moon and other celestial bodies, as the United States aims to set international norms in space amid a growing lunar race among nations and private companies.

The head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), according to a memo seen by Reuters, instructed the space agency to work with other parts of the U.S. government to devise a plan by the end of 2026 for setting what it called a Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC).

The differing gravitational force, and potentially other factors, on the moon and on other celestial bodies change how time unfolds relative to how it is perceived on Earth. Among other things, the LTC would provide a time-keeping benchmark for lunar spacecraft and satellites that require extreme precision for their missions.

"The same clock that we have on Earth would move at a different rate on the moon," Kevin Coggins, NASA's space communications and navigation chief, said in an interview.

OSTP chief Arati Prabhakar's memo said that for a person on the moon, an Earth-based clock would appear to lose on average 58.7 microseconds per Earth-day and come with other periodic variations that would further drift moon time from Earth time.

"Think of the atomic clocks at the U.S. Naval Observatory (in Washington). They're the heartbeat of the nation, synchronizing everything. You're going to want a heartbeat on the moon," Coggins said.

[Turkeytop]

As if the astronauts on the moon didn't have enough to worry about, now there's jet lag.

[zzand]

It fills me with endless joy to know the government is working on the big issues.

[TC Talks]

It fills me with endless joy to know the government is working on the big issues.

It's actually more important than it sounds.

[zzand]

IN space no one can hear you scream or cares what time it is.

[Round Six]

It's actually more important than it sounds.

I agree. It's about time.

[TC Talks]

It's actually more important than it sounds.

I agree. It's about time.

Excellent

[TC Talks]

IN space no one can hear you scream or cares what time it is.

Xenomorph knew that time was up.

[Turkeytop]

How many Time Zones will there be and who will name them?

[TC Talks]

NASA is working on it

[kager]

We need this implemented STAT! How else will humans be able to document what lunar Time it will be on the Dark Side of The Moon during Monday's total Eclipse?

[Round Six]

How many Time Zones will there be and who will name them?

The dark side zones will be named after the signs of the Chinese zodiac.

[radiofann]

They gonna enforce daylight savings time on the moon too?

Spring forward, fall back at 2am.

[Round Six]

They gonna enforce daylight savings time on the moon too?

Spring forward, fall back at 2am.

How would the cow that jumps over the moon resct to the change? Would the tide tables for the Sea of Tranquility need to be modified?

[WC8KCY]

Would the tide tables for the Sea of Tranquility need to be modified?

The Old Farmer's Almanac will have that figured out in a jiffy as soon as the time zones are finalised...