What time is it on the Moon, right now?
The short answer is: there isn’t one. Of course, the Moon is subject to the general concepts of time, in the Einstein theories of relativity sense–but there is no specific time, like 6:32 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, assigned to the Mare Tranquillitatis or any other crater, sea, or location on the Moon.
We’ll have to get to that point, eventually, if humans are going to establish bases and live on the Moon. Otherwise, how would astronauts know when, exactly, to meet at the Crater Grimaldi for a little exploring? Figuring out the lunar time riddle is important, because the Moon doesn’t have days in the Earth sense, with regular, 24-hour cycles of daylight and night; instead, at the Moon’s equator you get about 14 Earth days of sunlight followed by 14 Earth days of darkness. And lunar timekeeping is further complicated by the fact that Earth days on the Moon are shorter than Earth days on Earth–about 56 microseconds shorter. Because of that, scientists are looking to create a new time scale or timekeeping system for the Moon that accounts for this difference, which could mount up over time.
The starting point in the whole process will be to get precise timekeeping instruments, like atomic clocks, up to the Moon. That means humanity will have to agree on which kinds of clocks should be sent and where they should be placed. We’ll also have to agree on which time zone the Moon as a whole will be in, since scientists think there will only be one–at least initially.
So, can the people of Earth get together and agree on how to keep time on the Moon–and, by extension, other moons and planets and space-bound objects that humans might visit in the coming years? If we’re going to really explore and live elsewhere in our solar system, we’re going to have to do so. These days, we seem to have trouble agreeing on pretty much anything, but maybe figuring out a coherent, accurate system for lunar timekeeping will be the first step toward better understanding and coordination by the people of Earth.
Webner House 