Why do we need to know what time it is on the Moon | CNN

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It’s easy to think of the moon as a silvery orb in the night sky, providing a soft light most evenings. But have you ever thought about what time it is on the Moon?

As several countries work to establish a human presence on the lunar surface, experts say it is time to establish a time scale for Earth’s natural satellite. Otherwise, things could get confusing.

Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity decades ago has changed the way we understand time, and time even passes differently depending on where a clock is located on Earth. Determining a lunar time scale will be even more difficult.

The new measurement system on which NASA and its international partners must agree will have to take into account the fact that seconds pass more quickly on the Moon. Over time, those seconds add up.

But it will be crucial for astronauts living in lunar habitats and traveling in moon buggies who need to know exactly what time it is.

Boeing officials canceled the highly anticipated crewed maiden voyage of the Starliner spacecraft moments before liftoff Saturday.

An automatic shutdown was triggered by the ground launch sequencer, the computer that essentially launches the rocket, minutes before the scheduled launch time of 12:25 p.m. ET, and mission teams are still assessing the cause of the problem.

It’s possible that Starliner will be ready to go again as early as Sunday if the problem can be easily resolved.

Veteran NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore remain safe and have left the capsule, and will be ready for the next Starliner launch attempt when all systems are ready to operate.

The sunspot clusters responsible for the May 10 solar storm, which painted skies around the world with colorful auroras, are returning.

Experts predict that auroras could dance over the northern and upper Midwest states on Saturday, but it’s also possible that more dazzling displays could occur over the next week as sunspots face directly toward Earth .

Meanwhile, a “planetary parade” in which six planets appear aligned in the sky will soon take place, with optimal viewing in North America and Europe just before sunrise on Sunday. Expect to see Mars, Saturn and Jupiter, but Uranus, Mercury and Neptune probably won’t be visible to the naked eye.

And the “Devil’s Comet” will also make its closest approach to Earth on Sunday, but it will likely only be seen by those in the southern hemisphere using binoculars or a telescope.

Around 4,000 years ago, a woman living in Bronze Age Scotland likely suffered an accidental blow to the head, causing her to die in her 30s.

Now visitors to the Perth Museum and Art Gallery can see a flashing, expressive digital version of his face, thanks to a reconstruction by Dr Chris Rynn, a craniofacial anthropologist and forensic artist who studied his skull.

Other facial reconstructions on display at the museum include an Iron Age man who may have belonged to a group called the Picts and a young murder victim who lived in medieval Scotland.

Additionally, scientists have discovered evidence that ancient Egyptian doctors attempted to extract a cancerous tumor from a young man’s skull more than 4,000 years ago.

The remains of 28 horses buried nearly 2,000 years ago in Villedieu-sur-Indre, in central France, are astounding archaeologists, especially as the cause of the horses’ deaths still remains a mystery.

The nine tombs date between 100 BC and 100 AD, and the horses were all carefully placed in the same position at the same time.

The adult stallions may have been killed in battle during the Gallic Wars, when Julius Caesar conquered Gaul, or perhaps they were part of a ritual sacrifice, researchers say.

Separately, an exceptionally complete Stegosaurus fossil will be auctioned this summer, but paleontologists are concerned about where it will end up.

When people first began observing cats with striking fur patterns living in the Finnish village of Petäjävesi in 2007, scientists sat up and took notice.

The cats sported ombre locks of fur that were dark at the roots and faded to white. And now researchers know what creates their unusual fur pattern: a mutation affecting a gene called KIT, which controls hair color.

The felines have been nicknamed “salty licorice” cats, named after salmiak, a popular Finnish treat made from black licorice speckled with white salt.

Explore these fascinating new discoveries:

— Archaeologists excavating Pompeii in southern Italy have discovered children’s sketches depicting scenes of gladiators and hunters fighting animals, suggesting that young children witnessed these violent protests.

— Observations of the asteroid Dinkinesh captured by NASA’s Lucy mission reveal that a sun-driven earthquake may have created a puzzling double-lobed moon orbiting the space rock.

— The modern cockroach has a surprising history that began more than 2,000 years ago, and to become a pest, it had to hitch a ride in the lunchboxes of soldiers and travelers.

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