Regarding time: Basically, unless two events share a "light cone" -- that is, roughly speaking, the number of light-seconds separating them in distance is less than the number of seconds separating them in time -- those two events have no fixed ordering. Depending on relative speeds, different observers will see the two events happening in either order, or simultaneously. This makes it impossible to talk about "now" meaningfully for anywhere other than where you are.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relativity_of_simultaneity

On Tue, Feb 16, 2016 at 3:36 PM, Richard Aiken <xxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:
On Tue, Feb 16, 2016 at 2:53 PM, Greg Chalik <mrg3105@gmail.com> wrote:

Synchronise planetary orbits also?


The Imperium ignores individual planetary time, clocking everything on Sylean (e.g. Imperial) time. This drives the locals crazy, of course. Particularly because it's merely a legal fiction (since there is something in quantum mechanics - ask somebody with the math exactly what - which makes keeping accurate time on an interstellar scale impossible).

But the Imperium doesn't care about that. In fact, there is a bit of canon which makes local compliance with the Imperial calendar for all official uses connected with the Empire one of the signs of whether or not a particular world is successfully integrating into the Imperium. There is also a tradition among many grognards (I don't *think* it's actually canon) that given with it's authority to investigate all official interactions between Imperial and local bodies, the Imperial Office of Calendar Compliance is one of the more effective of the various clandestine internal Imperial spy agencies. 

--
Richard Aiken

"Never insult anyone by accident."  Robert A. Heinlein
"I studied the Koran a great deal. I came away from that study with the conviction there have been few religions in the world as deadly to men as Muhammed." Alexis de Tocqueville (1843)
"We know a little about a lot of things; just enough to make us dangerous." Dean Winchester
"It has been my experience that a gun doesn't care who pulls its trigger." Newton Knight (as portrayed by Matthew McConaughey), to a scoffing Confederate tax collector facing the weapons held by Knight's young children and wife.
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