Why do we need to know what time it is on the moon?

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It’s easy to take the moon for granted as a silvery orb in the night sky that provides soft light most evenings. But have you ever wondered what time it is on the moon?

With several countries racing to establish a human presence on the lunar surface, experts say it’s time to set a timeline for Earth’s natural satellite. Otherwise, things could get messy.

Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity decades ago it has changed the way we understand time, and time even flows differently depending on where the clock sits on Earth. Determining the lunar time scale will be even more challenging.

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

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

Shortly before launch on Saturday, Boeing officials conducted the much-anticipated maiden voyage of the Starliner crewed spacecraft.

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

It is possible that the Starliner could be ready to launch again as early as Sunday if the problem can be easily fixed.

Veteran NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore remain safe and exited the cabin and will be ready for the next Starliner launch attempt when all systems are ready for liftoff.

The sunspot constellations responsible for the May 10 solar storm that blanketed skies around the world in colorful auroras are making a comeback.

Experts predict the aurora borealis could dance over northern and upper Midwestern states on Saturday, but there’s also a chance for more dazzling displays over the next week as sunspots head straight for Earth.

Meanwhile, a “planet procession” will soon take place, in which six planets appear to line up in the sky, 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 are unlikely to be visible to the naked eye.

And the “Devil’s Comet” will make its closest approach to Earth on Sunday as well, but will probably only be spotted by those in the Southern Hemisphere with binoculars or binoculars.

About 4,000 years ago, a woman living in Bronze Age Scotland probably accidentally bumped her head and died in her 30s.

Now visitors to the Perth Museum and Art Gallery can see a flickering, expressive digital version of her face, thanks to a recreation by Dr Chris Rynn, the craniofacial anthropologist and forensic artist who studied her 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 uncovered evidence that ancient Egyptian doctors attempted to remove 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 stunning to archaeologists – especially since the cause of the horses’ deaths is still a mystery.

The nine graves date from between 100 BC and 100 AD, and all the horses were carefully laid to rest 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 they may have been part of a ritual sacrifice, according to the researchers.

Separately, an exceptionally complete Stegosaurus fossil is going up for auction this summer, but paleontologists are concerned about where it will end up.

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

The cats had ombré locks that were dark at the root and faded to white. And now scientists know what creates their unusual coat pattern: a mutation affecting a gene called KIT, which controls hair color.

The felines have been called “salty licorice” cats, named after salmiak, a popular Finnish delicacy made from black licorice sprinkled with white salt.

Explore these exciting new findings:

— Archaeologists excavating Pompeii in southern Italy have uncovered children’s drawings depicting scenes of gladiators and hunters fighting animals, suggesting that young children witnessed the violence firsthand.

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

— The modern cockroach has a surprising history that began more than 2,000 years ago, and the insect’s path to becoming a pest involved being hitched to the lunch baskets of soldiers and travelers.

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