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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已经联合起来，努力为月球建立一个单独的时区。
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.
总部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会议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组织合作，为月球建立一个标准时钟。
The moon’s orbital movements around Earth make one day on the lunar surface equal to 29.5 Earth days.
月球绕地球的轨道运动使得月球表面的一天相当于地球上的29.5天。
And because the moon has less gravity compared to Earth, time moves slightly faster there, about 58.7 microseconds quicker each day.
而且由于月球的引力比地球小，所以那里的时间过得稍快一些，每天大约快58.7微秒。
Susan Stewart is an astronomer with the U.S. Naval Observatory.
苏珊·斯图尔特是美国海军天文台的一名天文学家。
She helped create the resolution at the IAU conference.
她协助制定了国际天文学联合会大会的决议。
Stewart told The Associated Press the aim of the measure is quite simple: “To work together to establish (a) standard time.
斯图尔特告诉美联社，这项措施的目的非常简单：“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.
目前，月球行动是按照发射航天器的国家的时间进行的。
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.
但是支持创建单独时区的人说，这种方法将不得不改变；越来越多的国家和私人航天公司开始启动自己的月球任务。
Last year, the European Space Agency (ESA) pushed for the creation of a lunar clock.
去年，欧洲航天局（ESA）推动了创建月球时钟的计划。
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.
今年早些时候，白宫指示美国航天局（NASA）和其他机构在2026年底前为月球制定一个计时计划。
ESA noted communication and navigation systems built for the moon will perform much better if they use “the same timescale.”
欧空局指出，如果通信和导航系统使用“相同的时间尺度”，为月球建造的通信和导航系统将表现得更好。
In addition, a separate time zone will support “the many other crewed and uncrewed missions” planned for the future, ESA said.
此外，欧空局表示，一个单独的时区将支持未来计划的 “许多其他载人和非载人任务”。
In the past, NASA also considered establishing a separate time zone for the International Space Station (ISS). But the agency decided against it.
NASA也曾考虑为国际空间站（ISS）建立一个单独的时区。但该机构决定不再这样做。
Instead, the ISS runs on Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC, which is based on time kept by atomic clocks.
相反，国际空间站是按照协调世界时（UTC）运行的，而协调世界时是以原子钟的时间为基础的。
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.
美国国家航空航天局官员表示，该系统有助于缓解美国国家航空航天局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。
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.
研究建立月球时区的国际小组表示，它仍在决定是否应选择一个单一的组织来设定和保持月球上的时间。
Bijunath Patla is a physicist at the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology.
比朱纳斯·帕特是美国商务部国家标准与技术研究所的一名物理学家。
He told the AP that astronomers are still deciding on how a lunar clock would work.
他告诉美联社，天文学家仍在决定如何让月球钟运行。
Patla said, “I think the community has realized that this needs to be done. And this is the beginning. ”
帕特劳说：“我认为社区已经意识到这是需要做的。而这只是个开始。”
I’m Bryan Lynn.
我是布莱恩·林恩。
