What time is it on the moon? We may soon know, thanks to NASA project - Northeastern University College of Science

From sundials and water clocks to modern atomic timekeeping, methods for telling time on Earth — to mark the divide between night and day, month to year, etc. — have evolved over thousands of years.

Now, scientists are bringing their technological knowhow to the moon in order to establish time standards there and elsewhere in space.

The White House has directed NASA “to establish time standards at and around celestial bodies other than Earth,” instructing the agency to “develop celestial time standardization with an initial focus on the lunar surface” by December 2026.

Arun Bansil, university distinguished professor of physics at Northeastern, says that time functions slightly differently on the moon because the gravitational force is weaker there than on Earth.

Northeastern Global News spoke to Bansil to learn more about the science behind the White House’s latest project. His comments have been edited for brevity and clarity.