Precision timekeeping is necessary on the moon, especially when it differs from time on Earth. Credit: NASAShareResearchers at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have calculated a new system for measuring lunar time. While not needed for most peoples daily schedules, establishing time on the lunar surface as compared to time on Earth is vital to realizing a permanent human presence on the moon.Earlier this year, the Biden administration directed NASA to begin work on calculating a Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC). But thanks to the complexities of gravitational force and relativity, clocks in the Artemis Base Camp will move differently than those back home. This means entirely new clocks designed to run as accurately and reliably as possible. According to a study slated for publication in the journal, Physical Review D, the key to the new system is relativistic time transformations, better known as time dilation.Our work is conceptually aligned with the broader goals of time standardization in cislunar and deep-space environments, JPL astrophysicist and study co-author, Slava Turyshev, tells Popular Science. These are foundational for future lunar missions requiring sub-nanosecond synchronization for navigation, communication, and science operations.[Related: NASA is designing a time zone just for the moon.]A single seconds length is experienced differently depending on gravitational force and relative velocity. An astronaut on the moon looking at an Earth-based clock, for example, would see it lose about 56 microseconds per terrestrial day. Although that amount may sound minuscule, it adds upand that can pose major problems when multibillion dollar lunar missions and astronaut lives are on the line.These systems are crucial for supporting operational efficiency, scientific endeavors, and future commercial activities on the Moon, Turyshevs team writes in their study. Existing Earth-centric frameworks are inadequate for these demands, necessitating the development of an independent lunar coordinate and time system.As Universe Today explains, JPL researchers adapted the principles of relativity used in Earth timekeeping for a lunar environment. These included factors such as weaker lunar gravity resulting in faster clock tick rates, periodic time variations during the moons orbit, and local gravitational anomalies known as mascons which influence time on the moon. They then turned to detailed data amassed by NASAs Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission. Launched in 2011, the decade-long GRAIL program used a pair of satellites to map the moons surface, as well as measure its gravitational field. The team also factored in information gathered from the Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) project that measured orbital distances between the moon and Earth down to the millimeter. Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.After some extremely dense calculations and physics analysis, Turyshev and his collaborators determined that lunar time drifts ahead of time on Earth by roughly 56 microseconds per day, depending on the Moons orbit. Although these semiregular oscillations only measure around 0.47 microseconds every 27.5 days, the tiny discrepancies can make a huge difference when calculating safe rocket landings, mission schedules, and more.The implications of a Lunar Timescale (LT) and a Lunicentric Coordinate Reference System (LCRS) also go far beyond the initial Artemis missions. Any permanent settlements on the moon will require a dedicated time system to allow for greater autonomy. But if all goes according to plan and the massive logistical, financial, and scientific hurdles are cleared, dont expect to need to calculate complex time zone shifts like here on Earth.Offering a direct conversion like 12PM EST = X PM on the Moon isnt straightforward due to the relativistic drift between terrestrial time (TT) and lunar time (TL), says Turyshev. However, if we simplify things for illustration, 12PM EST on Earth would roughly correspond to 12PM plus a tiny drift on the Moon, depending on the specific mission timeline.

NewsAnimalsVelvet ants have the Swiss Army knife of venomsThe venom acts on distinct molecular targets in mammals and insects Velvet ants deliver a savagely painful sting, prompting their other, more colorful nickname: cow killers.Steve Heap/Getty ImagesBy Amanda Heidt11 seconds agoFew creatures can tangle with a velvet ant and walk away unscathed. These ground-dwelling insects are not ants, but parasitic wasps known for their excruciating stings. Now researchers have discovered that the wasps dont dole out pain the same way to all species. Different ingredients in their venom cocktail do the dirty work depending on whos at the business end of a wasps stinger, researchers report online January 6 in Current Biology.Velvet ants are among the most well-defended insects, wielding not just venom, but warning coloration and odor, an extremely tough exoskeleton and long stinger, and the ability to scream when provoked. In 2016, the entomologist Justin Schmidt wrote that getting stung by a velvet antfelt akin to hot oil from the deep fryer spilling over your entire hand. Scientists have found that other vertebrates react to the wasps sting too, including mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds.

NewsPlanetary SciencePluto may have captured its moon Charon with a kissThe pair of Kuiper belt objects linked up in a kiss-and-capture collision The New Horizons spacecraft flyby in 2015 captured these images of Pluto (lower right) and its large moon Charon (upper left). While this is a composite, and not to scale, new simulations reveal the pairs close relationship.SwRI/JHUAPL/NASABy Lisa Grossman10 seconds agoPluto and Charons meet-cute may have started with a kiss. New computer simulations of the dwarf planet and its largest moon suggest that the pair got together in a kiss-and-capture collision, where the two bodies briefly joined up before settling into their current positions.Its a U-Haul situation, says planetary scientist Adeene Denton of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo., who reports the results January 6 in Nature Geoscience. They kiss and they say, Yeah, this is it. I want to build a system together with you. And then they do.

Nature, Published online: 06 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00011-8A trove of data is providing insights into the main reasons studies are pulled from the arXiv preprint platform.

Nature, Published online: 06 January 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00009-2NASAs Parker Solar Probe could solve the mysteries of the solar wind and test Einsteins theory of relativity.

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CES 2025 has kicked off, and amidst all of the new tech reveals, Hyperkin has unveiled a new Xbox and PC controller that appears to borrow heavily from the design of the PlayStation DualSense controller. Dubbed the Competitor, this is a wired controller that features some premium hardware inside of it, like Hall Effect analog sticks and triggers. Official pricing and a release date have yet to be revealed, but we'll update this post with preorder links as soon as Hyperkin makes those details public.Like the DualSense, the Competitor features a similar layout of face buttons, symmetrical analog sticks, and a familiar placement of face buttons (via IGN). The D-pad is also heavily influenced by the DualSense with its transparent buttons and placement, and for extras, two additional inputs on the gamepad's rear can be found. There'll be two variants available for purchase when it launches: a regular black Competitor controller and one with white face-plates to create a two-color tone. While the Competitor looks like a DualSense controller, it remains to be seen if it'll feel like one. The overall ergonomics look almost identical to its primary inspiration, but the DualSense does feature nuanced haptic feedback features that aren't present in an Xbox controller.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Earlier this month, NetEase Games teased the debut of the Fantastic Four, the first post-launch heroes for Marvel Rivals. Now, the trailer for Marvel Rivals Season 1 has arrived, and it reveals that Marvel's first family of superheroes are facing an unexpected battle with the Lord of the Vampires, Count Dracula. It also appears that the FF may be among the few heroes left who can oppose him. As seen in the trailer, Dracula has personally taken Dr. Strange out of the picture. More alarmingly, Avengers Tower has fallen, and the familiar A logo on the side of the building has been turned into a V. Each member of the Fantastic Four is also showcased as they push back against Dracula's influence, but the FF won't have to hold back the darkness alone.The story seems similar to Marvel's recently concluded Blood Hunt crossover, which also left the world enshrouded by darkness as vampires attempted to take over. In the game, Dracula and Doctor Doom achieved this result by disrupting the moon's orbit. New York City has already fallen, and the remaining heroes will stand "together in the epic battle to break the mystical darkness with science."Continue Reading at GameSpot

Today is a big day for the WWE, as Raw officially moves to Netflix with tonight's show from Los Angeles. It also marks an end of an era for WWE 2K23. As of now, 2K Games has taken down the game's servers permanently.2K Games said it was giving WWE 2K23 its "final takedown" last September. The game and its DLC was removed from PlayStation and Xbox's digital storefronts at the beginning of November. Now that the servers are also down, WWE 2K23 will no longer have any online functions, including player-to-player matches or even the Community Creations that allowed fan-made characters to be downloaded.However, WWE 2K23 will still be available to play offline for anyone who purchased it prior to its removal. This game's fate foreshadows what will eventually befall its successor, WWE 2K24. That game reintroduced the special referee mode and featured 40 Years of WrestleMania, which allowed players to recreate several famous matches from "the showcase of the immortals."Continue Reading at GameSpot

Releasing to Steam Early Access on January 14, Hyper Light Breaker is the long-awaited sequel to 2016's Hyper Light Drifter and transitions the series from its iconic 2D pixel art style to an equally vibrant 3D world. Hyper Light Breaker players take on the role of a Breaker, tasked with venturing into procedurally-generated biomes in order to defeat enemies and collect new gear on their way to confronting the Abyss King. The ambitious roguelike from developer Heart Machine has already showcased plenty of impressive-looking footage of alpha gameplay.