stardates

Stardates are a fictional dating system used in the Star Trek franchise. They are intended to represent the passage of time in a standardized way across various episodes and series, even though the exact conversion from Earth years to stardates is not always consistent. The concept was introduced in the original Star Trek series to give the show a futuristic feel, and the numbering system has evolved and been refined over the decades.

The exact purpose of stardates within the Star Trek universe is to provide a means of temporal measurement for starship operations and historical records. While specific algorithms for calculating stardates have been proposed by fans and creators, the canon explanation often refers to them as a system that accounts for Earth's orbital position and other astronomical factors, making them more complex than a simple numerical progression. Different series within the franchise have sometimes used slightly different stardate scales, leading to a degree of internal inconsistency. However, the general idea remains that a stardate represents a specific point in time within the Starfleet timeline.