Mars Rover Curiosity's Drivers Switch Back To Earth Time
Mars Watch Face This is a watch face designed by a specialty watchmaker in Montrose, Calif., who built them for Mars rover drivers. JPL While the rest of us enjoyed an extra hour of sleep as daylight saving time ended Sunday, the scientists and engineers working with the Mars rover Curiosity were just glad to be back on Earth time. The rover team has finally stopped working on Mars time, just as they planned. The Mars day, which is called a sol, is about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day, so a Mars rover driver's schedule shifts by 40 minutes each day. After a few days of jumping ahead by 40 minutes, they would be working in the middle of the night. Life on Mars time totally disrupts their biological clocks, not to mention their personal routines. People hate it. They do it because they can stay awake when the rover...