Any big brains out there know of a universal way to measure time?

Like let’s say we’ve made contact with an alien race and have figured out communications. We want to tell them a thing will happen at a specific time, but they have a different means of measurement that we can’t understand. Is there a universal constant way to measure time that doesn’t assume a standard planetary rotation, or the reactions of a specific atom to specific conditions? A constant regardless of environmental conditions that with the basic equipment of a reasonably techno-savvy civilization could easily be measured

*edit* Could the hydrogen line frequency be used as constance reference point perhaps?

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Thodsis · 51-55, M

Seeing as there is communication, all that's needed is a simple procedure.

One group says 'start' then some time later says 'stop'. Both use their time measurement devices to see how long that takes. They then make sure that the measurements synchronise with each other.

And they have a unit of time.

Zaphod42 · 46-50, M

@Thodsis That’s fair, and more or less my original idea for the story I’m writing, but I was just wondering it’s there’s a universal basis for a ‘Star date’ kinda system. Maybe a measurement of how far light can travel in a vacuum in the time it takes for a hydrogen atom to flip orientations a given number of times or something… 🤷‍♂️

Thodsis · 51-55, M

@Zaphod42 Maybe you could introduce an alien group who are always turning up early or late because they have no subjective concept of 'sameness'.

Mind you, I've experienced humans like that...