Scientists have determined the exact time on Mars, which is different from Earth’s

Experts from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have made a significant discovery, accurately determining for the first time the difference in time between Earth and Mars. The data obtained will be critical for NASA’s planned missions to the Red Planet. The results of their study were published in the Astronomical Journal.

In the process, the scientists found that the clocks on Mars run 477 microseconds faster per day than on Earth. This difference can vary depending on the shape of Mars’ orbit and the different forces that affect the two planets.

Scientists Bijunath Patli and Neil Ashby of NIST believe that the reason for this phenomenon is the lower gravity on Mars, which is only one-fifth that of Earth. This leads to faster passage of time because, in strong gravitational fields such as those on Earth, clocks run slower than in weaker ones.

Additionally, Mars’ elliptical orbit around the Sun also affects the passage of time. Its position changes throughout the year, causing time to vary by up to 226 microseconds per day. Compared to Mars, the Moon has a more constant orbit, with a period of about 56 microseconds.

These findings could pave the way for more accurate communication systems between the planets. Currently, the delay in communication between Earth and Mars ranges from four to 24 minutes, and if scientists can synchronize the time on both planets, this problem could be partially solved.