Atomic clocks are widely used for precise timekeeping, but they are also affected by general relativity. That means a clock placed in a different gravitational environment than Earth will measure time at a slightly different rate. The issue matters for off-world operations because Mars has a different gravity profile than Earth, so time on the Martian surface runs subtly faster relative to Earth time due to Mars being in a shallower gravitational well. As a result, clocks used for communications, navigation, and technology coordination on Mars would not remain synchronized with Earth-based timing if they rely only on Earth-standard assumptions. Two reports describe work by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory researcher Slava Turyshev, presented in a new paper made available as an arXiv preprint. The paper proposes a framework to standardize how time is measured on Mars while accounting for relativistic effects. The goal is to ensure consistent time references across Earth and Mars operations as human and robotic activity on the planet increases.
NASA researcher proposes relativistic clock standard for future Mars missions
Atomic clocks are widely used for precise timekeeping, but they are also affected by general relativity. That means a clock placed in a different gravitational environment than Earth will measure time...
- Atomic clocks provide very precise timing but still shift due to general relativity when moved to new gravitational environments.
- Mars’ weaker gravitational field means time on the Martian surface runs slightly faster than on Earth.
- Two outlets report Slava Turyshev of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory proposes a way to standardize Martian timekeeping.
- The proposal is described in an arXiv preprint.
- The motivation is to keep timing consistent for future technology and mission activities on Mars.
We think of atomic clocks as the definitive timekeepers. They are famous for being accurate down to the picosecond. Unfortunately, they are still subject to general relativity, so if you put them on a different planet, they will track time slightly faster or slower than on Earth, depending on the planet's gravity. In Mars' case, an atomic clock on its surface is sitting in a slightly shallower gravity well, meaning that time moves slightly faster there. Therefore, as we begin to expand our technological footprint on the red planet, we will need a way to standardize how time is measured there. Dr. Slava Turyshev, a researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, proposes just such a framework in a new paper available on the arXiv preprint server.
10 hours agoWe think of atomic clocks as the definitive timekeepers. They are famous for being accurate down to the picosecond. Unfortunately, they are still subject to general relativity, so if you put them on a different planet, they will track time slightly faster or slower than on Earth, depending on the planet’s gravity. In Mars’ case, an atomic clock on its surface is sitting in a slightly shallower gravity well, meaning that time moves slightly faster there. Therefore, as we begin to expand our technological footprint on the Red Planet, we will need a way to standardize how time is measured there. Dr. Slava Turyshev, a researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, proposes just such a framework in a new paper available in pre-print on arXiv.
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