A comparative study of time on Mars with lunar and terrestrial clocks

TL;DR

This paper analyzes relativistic effects on clocks on Mars, Moon, and Earth, quantifying time offsets and proposing a formalism for improved clock synchronization in space exploration.

Contribution

It introduces a formalism for accounting for solar tides in relativistic clock rate predictions on Mars and the Moon, enhancing accuracy over Keplerian models.

Findings

Mars clocks tick faster than Earth's by 477 microseconds/day

Clock rate variation on Mars over a year is 226 microseconds/day

Amplitude modulation of 40 microseconds/day over seven synodic cycles

Abstract

As space exploration extends into cislunar space and further towards Mars, understanding the relativistic effects on clocks on Mars, particularly in relation to multibody gravitational influences, becomes increasingly important for accurate clock synchronization. This study estimates clock rates on Mars and compares them to those on the Moon and Earth. We find that, on average, clocks on Mars tick faster than those on the Earth's geoid by 477 microseconds per day, with a variation of 226 microseconds per day over a Martian year. Additionally, there is an amplitude modulation of approximately 40 microseconds per day over seven synodic cycles. We also introduce a formalism for addressing the effects of solar tides on the Earth-Moon system for predicting clock rates on the Moon and Mars more accurately when compared to using only Keplerian orbit approximations. Our analysis quantifies the relativistic proper time offsets among Martian, lunar, and terrestrial clocks, highlighting important implications for mission planning and the implementation of timekeeping systems on Mars.