04. Would we use Earth time or planet time? (A K2S Question)

From The Space Library

One solution to the problem—one that Mars Exploration Rover teams use during the Mars Rover missions—is for people on Earth to use the new planet time and adjust their days constantly so that they are awake and working at the same time as the space travelers. This means that the people on Earth would sometimes work during the day and sometimes work during the night depending on the time of day on Mars. Either way, someone has to assume the time of the other person's planet in order to keep communication open. Space travelers not visiting planets might choose to stay on Earth time, choosing a specific Earth time zone since there is no definition for night or day when you are not on the surface of a planet or orbiting.

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Answer provided by Luke Keller, Ph.D.

Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer

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