Stardate & Sci-Fi Time Converter

Q: What is a TNG stardate?

A fictional date where **1000 units ≈ 1 year**. TNG episodes cluster around 41000–48000; the converter maps real dates onto the TNG scale (stardate ≈ (year−2323) × 1000 + fraction).

Q: What is Mars Sol Date (MSD)?

Days since the epoch **1973-12-29 12:00 UTC** on Mars' 24h39m sol, defined for the Mars24 clock. Current MSD ≈ 53,000+.

Q: What is Barycentric Julian Day (BJD)?

A Julian date corrected to the **solar system barycenter** with the TDB timescale — the standard time axis for exoplanet and variable-star work.

Q: What is Swatch Internet Time?

A decimal day divided into **1000 .beats**, based on Biel Mean Time (UTC+1): @500 = noon BMT. Used by Swatch watches and internet art.

Sci-fi and astronomy time scales make great conversions: Star Trek TNG stardates (e.g. 48315.6), TOS stardates, Mars Sol Date (days since 1973-12-29 on Mars), Barycentric Julian Day (astronomy) and Swatch Internet Time (@beat).

This converter renders your date-time in each fandom/astronomy scale — perfect for creative projects, writers, and astronomers working across reference frames.

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Enter a date-time above to see the conversion results.

Stardate & Sci-Fi Time Converter Quick Reference

Format	Pattern / Description	Example 1	Example 2
Star Trek Stardate (TNG)	24th Century (TrekGuide)	-296384.6	-297000.0
Star Trek Stardate (TOS)	23rd Century (Classic)	-238384.6	-239000.0
Barycentric Julian Day	BJD_TDB (Approx)	2461266.104967	2461041.500801
Mars Sol Date (MSD)	Allison & McEwen	Sol 54252.63	Sol 54034.03
Swatch Internet Time	.beat (@000)	@645	@41

* Examples are rendered in UTC for the fixed sample instants above.

When to Use Stardate & Sci-Fi Time

Fan fiction & worldbuilding

Generate consistent TNG stardates for story timelines (the show's stardate ≈ 4.5 years before airdate, scaled).

Astronomy data correlation

BJD-TDB is the standard time axis for exoplanet transit observations; convert observation times before fitting light curves.

Mars mission planning

Mars missions track Sol counts (MSD); convert Earth dates to Mars Sol for habitat/log naming.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a TNG stardate?

A fictional date where 1000 units ≈ 1 year. TNG episodes cluster around 41000–48000; the converter maps real dates onto the TNG scale (stardate ≈ (year−2323) × 1000 + fraction).

What is Mars Sol Date (MSD)?

Days since the epoch 1973-12-29 12:00 UTC on Mars' 24h39m sol, defined for the Mars24 clock. Current MSD ≈ 53,000+.

What is Barycentric Julian Day (BJD)?

A Julian date corrected to the solar system barycenter with the TDB timescale — the standard time axis for exoplanet and variable-star work.

What is Swatch Internet Time?

A decimal day divided into 1000 .beats, based on Biel Mean Time (UTC+1): @500 = noon BMT. Used by Swatch watches and internet art.

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