Datetime is represented in, so called, external TAI64 format. => TAI64 TAI stands for Temps Atomique International, the current international real time standard. Unlike UTC, it takes leap seconds into account, making it monotonous. => TAI You can convert UTC to TAI by adding the number of leap seconds. External TAI64 format is big-endian 64-bit number of TAI seconds passed since 1970-01-01, plus 1<<62. TAI64N format adds 32-bit big-endian number of nanoseconds (up to 999999999). TAI64NA adds another 32-big big-endian part of attoseconds. Shortest form *must* be used: if number of nanoseconds equals to zero, then use TAI64 format. Example representations: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 TAI | 18 4000000000000000 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 18 400000000000000A 1969-12-31 23:59:59 TAI | 18 3FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF 1992-06-02 08:07:09 TAI | 18 400000002A2B2C2D 1992-06-02 08:06:43 UTC | 18 400000002A2B2C2D 1997-10-03 18:15:19 TAI | 18 4000000034353637 1997-10-03 18:14:48 UTC | 18 4000000034353637 2016-12-31 23:59:59 UTC | 18 40000000586846A3 2017-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 18 40000000586846A5 2024-11-20 12:19:08 921772500ns UTC | 19 40000000673DD3E136F121D4