Chinese researchers have unveiled the world's first software for accurately measuring time on the moon and synchronizing it with Earth time. According to the South China Morning Post, the technology is designed to improve the accuracy of navigation and operation of spacecraft against the backdrop of the intensifying international lunar race.
The difference between lunar and terrestrial time is due to the weaker gravity on the Moon: the lunar clock "rushes" by about 56 millionths of a second per day. This effect is small, but it accumulates over time, which makes the use of Earth time less reliable for long-term operation on a satellite. To solve the problem, scientists from the Zijinshan Observatory in Nanjing have created a model that takes into account the features of lunar gravity and the movement of the Moon in space.
The developed model was designed as a ready-made software product that allows direct comparison of lunar and terrestrial time without complex calculations. The system was named LTE440 (Lunar Time Ephemeris). According to the authors, as the number of lunar missions increases and there is a permanent human presence on the Moon, the need for a single and accurate "lunar time" will only increase.
