NASA is working on new clock for the Moon

Re:NASA is working on new clock for the Moon by fsh on Saturday April 06, 2024 @09:14AM (#39952221)

This is not what happens. The influence of the different gravitational acceleration on the moon compared to the earth is completely negligible for atomic clocks. However, the surface of the earth is at a lower gravitational potential than the surface of the moon. According to General Relativity, this leads to gravitational time dilation: Time passes slower on the surface of the earth than on the surface of the moon.

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Re:NASA is working on new clock for the Moon by couchand on Saturday April 06, 2024 @09:22AM (#39952267)

You are theoretically correct (the best kind of correct).

However: Is this difference of a magnitude exceeding everyday nonrelativistic clock drift?

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Re:NASA is working on new clock for the Moon by fsh on Saturday April 06, 2024 @10:01AM (#39952498)

Yes, this is a huge effect relative to the stability and accuracy of modern atomic clocks. Even a few hundred meters of elevation difference on earth is easily visible in clock comparisons and has to be accounted for.

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Re:NASA is working on new clock for the Moon by robertlagrant on Saturday April 06, 2024 @10:14AM (#39952586)

But to what extent? 1s a day? 1s a century?

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Re:NASA is working on new clock for the Moon by fsh on Saturday April 06, 2024 @10:42AM (#39952844)

It's in the article: 58.7 microseconds per day which corresponds to 17.6 km of position drift in navigation applications.

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