Scientists recently discovered that time runs slightly faster on Mars compared to Earth. A study shows that clocks on Mars gain about 0.477 milliseconds each day when measured from our planet. This tiny difference could be important for future technologies, like an interplanetary internet, as we explore beyond Earth.
As humanity aims for permanent settlements on the moon and Mars through missions like NASA’s Artemis program, understanding time differences becomes crucial. Astronauts will need synchronized clocks to coordinate activities with mission control on Earth.
Time isn’t universal. According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, gravity affects time. Clocks in stronger gravitational fields tick slower. For example, people living at higher altitudes age just a bit faster than those at sea level because time moves a fraction quicker where gravity is weaker.
Research from 2024 suggests that clocks on the moon could be about 56 microseconds faster than those on Earth too. A team of physicists, Neil Ashby and Bijunath Patla, studied Mars next. They defined a reference point on Mars similar to Earth’s sea level, called the “areoid,” and looked at how gravity and velocity influence time.
Mars has weaker gravity than Earth, but it orbits more slowly. This combination allows Martian clocks to tick faster. However, the speed varies by 226 microseconds day by day due to the planet’s elliptical orbit and gravitational influences from nearby celestial bodies.
Patla noted that these changes caught him by surprise, as they were larger than expected. Their findings, which got published in The Astronomical Journal, will help scientists sync time across different locations in our solar system. This synchronization could enable quicker communication channels in the future.
While these calculations mark significant strides forward, they still had some inaccuracies, missing about 100 nanoseconds daily because slight shifts in planetary movements weren’t considered. Even though this seems minimal, it means Martian clocks may need resetting every 100 days.
Such studies remind us that even small differences in time can lead to complexities in space. As we push further into the cosmos, understanding how time behaves will be crucial for navigating and thriving in new worlds.
For more in-depth exploration of time and relativity, consider checking NASA’s resources on orbital cycles.
