Battlestar Galactica units

In the original 1978 science fiction movie and television series "Battlestar Galactica", the characters used unusual units to measure time and distance which are never fully defined. In contrast, the re-imagined version largely uses conventional earth units.

Daily units

The daily units were based on the decimal system. The mainstream interpretation is as follows:

* A micron is roughly equivalent to one second.
* A centon is roughly equivalent, or a little more than a minute.
* A centar is 100 centons (stated in episode "Take the Celestra"), and is roughly equivalent to two hours.
* A cycle is 10 centars, and roughly equivalent to a day.

It should be noted that some confusion was caused by the use of "micron", on Galactica, with real world measurement micron which is one millionth of a metre (0.00003937 of an inch). Especially when used as an estimated time until contact, it could be confused with an indication of distance.

Calendar units

The weekly, monthly and yearly units may have been based on multiples of 4, 10 and 12, since the 12 planets of the colonies replicated the Zodiac, the cycle of four in nature, and the need for a digital space-faring time independent of planetary time. With twelve different planets in twelve star systems, none of the colonies could have measured their days and years the same way, therefore an independent system of measuring time was necessary for space travel and military use. (On Earth, a similar situation exists with Commercial Aviation and the NATO military alliance using a standard Zulu time synchronized with Greenwich Mean Time.)

* A secton of 8 cycles (days) is roughly comparable to one week.
* A quatron of 16 days is roughly comparable to a fortnight. The quatron is so called because it is four units of four days each.
* A sectar of 32 days is roughly comparable to one month.
* A yahren of 400 days is roughly comparable to one year. A yahren includes 12 sectars named for each of the colonies, and an additional 16 days (4 days per quarter) as interstitial holidays. The name is similar to the German "Jahre" or the Dutch "jaren" (meaning "years", singular "Jahr", "jare").
* A centuron of 100 yahren.
* A millennium of 1000 yahren.

Distance units

* A metron is roughly comparable to one metre. [Mentioned in episode "The Long Patrol".]

* A maxon is roughly comparable to 1/100th of the width of the Battlestar Galactica. [Mentioned in episode "Saga of a Star World - Part 2".]

* A solar unit, or "SU", has a similar meaning to that of our use of "AU" or "Astronomical Unit" which is the measurement of distance between the Sun and Earth, though not directly compareable. This is because the exact measurement of "SU" is unknown. The unit "SU" is mentioned in Battlestar Galactica when Captain Lee Adama states how far away the Battlestar Pegasus is from the source of a distress signal and two lost Raptors in the episode "The Captain's Hand", bearing resemblance to our own use of "AU" in astronomy.

Weight and mass units

* A laxon is unit of weight mentioned in connection with grain, roughly comparable to a bushel.

Power units

* A kilon is roughly comparable to one kilowatt.
* A volton is roughly comparable to one volt.

Military Decorations

The Distinguished Service Medallion award was given to Commander Kronos in "Take the Celestra". It is a gold medal on a red ribbon.

The Gold Cluster is never actually seen though it is the "highest award for warriors" and was to be given to Apollo, Boomer & Starbuck for sweeping the minefield near Carillon in "Saga of a Star World".

The Star of Kobol was not awarded in a thousand yahrens, but is offered to Commander Adama in "Baltar's Escape" by the Council of the Twelve in seeming exchange for greater Council powers but is refused by Adama.

Military Ranks

While we never hear or see the ranks of Colonial Enlisted ranks, the Colonial Officer progression seem to follow a combination of land and sea grades: Cadet, Ensign, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Colonel, Commander, Admiral. The sole exception being a computer screen stating that Omega is a "SGT" (presumably a Sergeant) in "The Long Patrol".

Currency

In the original 1978 television series, the currency among the colonies is a rectangle-shaped coin called a cubit (not to be confused with the real world unit of length the cubit). A cubit is about half the size of a business card but thicker and has engraved designs of uncertain origin and pattern. Cubits are often carried in small cloth bags on a belt. The monetary value of the cubit is uncertain, but they are made of "Auric" (gold, confirmed in Galactica 1980: "The Super Scouts, Part I" where Dillion attempts to exchange cubits with the markings lasered off for local currency at a bank.)

Other units

* A megon is a measure of bomb yield, although not directly comparable to a megaton.

References

* http://www.battlestargalactica.com/outside_docs/bg_outdoc0008.htm