What time is it on Mars?

To maintain observe of time on the Pink Planet, astronomers use a Mars clock with 24 “Mars hours” primarily based on the planet’s rotation.

This composite, that includes two photos taken by the Curiosity rover, reveals views on April 8, 2023, at 9:20 a.m. (proper) and three:40 p.m. (left) native Mars time. Credit score: NASA/JPL-Caltech

What’s “native martian time”?

Dennis W. Gordon
Waunakee, Wisconsin

Mars doesn’t but have an official calendar or time zones like now we have on Earth. The one formally designated time unit on the Pink Planet is the sol, which is outlined just like the day is on Earth: one full planetary rotation on its axis. However for planning and knowledge evaluation, scientists and engineers engaged on Mars missions nonetheless want a way to determine what time it’s, not right here on Earth, however there at a selected place on that planet. So, identical to on Earth, we will divide a martian sol into totally different time zones — native martian instances, if you’ll.

With the intention to maintain Mars time acquainted to these of us again on Earth, one can tally time on every sol utilizing a Mars clock with 24 “Mars hours.” These Mars hours are sometimes referred to as “photo voltaic hours” as a result of they observe the Solar’s place within the Pink Planet’s sky. For instance, 12:00 midday native Mars time is when the Solar is highest within the sky at that particular place. A brand new sol begins at 12:00 midnight native Mars (photo voltaic) time.

As a result of Mars rotates on its axis just a bit bit slower than Earth does, although, a sol on Mars is 2.75 p.c longer than a day on Earth: 24 hours 39 minutes 35 seconds. So expressed in Earth time, on Mars every photo voltaic hour is 1 hour 1 minute 39 seconds (1/24 of a sol) lengthy, every photo voltaic minute is 61.65 seconds lengthy, and every photo voltaic second is 1.0275 seconds lengthy.

This small distinction makes life difficult for these of us again on Earth residing on “Mars time” vicariously by our lander and rover avatars. For instance, if we have to begin rover operations three hours after native dawn each sol, and we begin at midday Earth time on a Monday, we’ll begin round 12:37 P.M. on Tuesday, then 1:15 P.M. on Wednesday, 1:52 P.M. on Thursday, and so on. Inside a number of weeks, we’re working late-night shifts (Earth time), after which a number of weeks later we’re again into common workday hours. It’s complicated and physiologically difficult to reside on Earth and work on native martian time — but in addition nice enjoyable!

Jim Bell
Deputy Principal Investigator for Science for the Mars Science Laboratory Mastcam, Arizona State College, Tempe, Arizona