第2299期:Astronomy Joins Effort to Establish Time Zone on the Moon

An international group of astronomers has joined efforts seeking to establish a separate time zone for the moon.一个国际天文学家小组正在联合努力，试图为月球建立一个独立的时区。The French-based International Astronomical Union (IAU) recently approved a resolution on the matter during the group’s General Assembly meeting in Cape Town, South Africa.位于法国的国际天文学联合会（IAU）最近在南非开普敦举行的大会上批准了一项关于此事的决议。The resolution calls on space organizations around the world to cooperate on establishing a standard clock for the moon.该决议呼吁世界各地的航天机构合作建立一个月球标准时钟。The moon’s orbital movements around Earth make one day on the lunar surface equal to 29.5 Earth days. And because the moon has less gravity compared to Earth, time moves slightly faster there, about 58.7 microseconds quicker each day.月球绕地球的轨道运动使得月球表面的一天等于地球上的29.5天。而且由于月球的重力比地球小，时间在那里移动得稍快，每天约快58.7微秒。Susan Stewart is an astronomer with the U.S. Naval Observatory. She helped create the resolution at the IAU conference. Stewart told The Associated Press the aim of the measure is quite simple: “To work together to establish (a) standard time.”苏珊·斯图尔特是美国海军天文台的天文学家。她在国际天文学联合会会议上帮助制定了这项决议。斯图尔特告诉美联社，这项措施的目标非常简单：“共同努力建立一个标准时间。”Currently, moon operations run on the time of the country that is launching spacecraft. But supporters of creating a separate time zone say this method will have to change; more countries and private space companies are starting to launch their own moon missions.目前，月球上的操作是根据发射航天器的国家的时间进行的。但支持建立独立时区的人士表示，这种方法必须改变；越来越多的国家和私营航天公司开始发射他们自己的月球任务。Last year, the European Space Agency (ESA) pushed for the creation of a lunar clock. And earlier this year, the White House directed the U.S. space agency NASA and other agencies to come up with a timekeeping plan for the moon by the end of 2026.去年，欧洲航天局（ESA）推动建立一个月球时钟。今年早些时候，白宫指示美国航天局（NASA）及其他机构在2026年底前制定一个月球时间计时计划。ESA noted communication and navigation systems built for the moon will perform much better if they use “the same timescale.” In addition, a separate time zone will support “the many other crewed and uncrewed missions” planned for the future, ESA said.欧洲航天局指出，为月球建立的通信和导航系统如果使用“相同的时间尺度”，将表现得更好。此外，一个独立的时区将支持未来计划的“许多载人和无人任务”。In the past, NASA also considered establishing a separate time zone for the International Space Station (ISS). But the agency decided against it. Instead, the ISS runs on Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC, which is based on time kept by atomic clocks. NASA officials say this system helps ease the time difference between NASA and the Canadian Space Agency, as well as other space partners in Russia, Japan and Europe.过去，NASA也曾考虑为国际空间站（ISS）建立一个独立的时区。但该机构最终决定不这样做。相反，国际空间站采用协调世界时（UTC），该时间基于原子钟保持的时间。NASA官员表示，这一系统有助于缓解NASA与加拿大航天局以及俄罗斯、日本和欧洲其他航天合作伙伴之间的时差问题。The international team looking at establishing a lunar time zone has said it is still deciding whether a single organization should be chosen to set and keep time on the moon.负责研究建立月球时区的国际团队表示，他们仍在决定是否应选择一个单一的组织来设定和维护月球上的时间。Bijunath Patla is a physicist at the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology. He told the AP that astronomers are still deciding on how a lunar clock would work. Patla said, “I think the community has realized that this needs to be done. And this is the beginning.”比久纳斯·帕特拉是美国商务部国家标准与技术研究院的物理学家。他告诉美联社，天文学家们仍在决定月球时钟的工作方式。帕特拉说：“我认为科学界已经意识到这是必须要做的事情。而这只是个开始。”