No one spends much time wondering what time it is at a given point on Earth. Thanks to our watches and clocks and our knowledge of the time zones that divide the planet, we are always able to find our way through the day. However, what happens when we take a little distance and move away among the stars? Is it enough to take a clock to the Moon to know what time it is on the surface of our natural satellite? The answer is, unfortunately, much more complex.
Asking the question of what time it is on the Moon is not just a funny question, but a real scientific concern about the future of space exploration. At present, the Moon does not have a real time system, whether independent or linked to that of the Earth, Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Astronauts on missions to the Moon can follow the UTC system, because they are in permanent connection with Earth, and their missions have only been short-lived. However, the future of space exploration will involve the establishment of full-time space bases on the Moon, which will have to be independent of Earth in the long term. And at that point, knowing lunar time will be essential, not only to link the different bases and missions together, but also to avoid disrupting the biological clock (particularly for sleep) of those who will live full-time on (…)
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