Subject: Is there a universal

As we look out into space we see into the past. The more distant an object, the further back in time it is. We see it as it was, not as it is today. So here is the question: Is there a universal time in the universe which we can only imply indirectly but not actually measure? Or is this too simplistic? (For example, time would be very different within a black hole, so there may be places where time doesn't relate to our earth bound experiences - but I was thinking in terms of large distances.) If we can say its morning in Japan while its evening in California, why not say its "now" on Mars and the same "now" on Earth many light minutes away? And if so, than why not say a star went super nova in a galaxy 100,000 light years away "right now" - and though we won't see it until 100,000 years from "now" - it still exploded "now" in Earth time as much as its own time in that distant galaxy. I realize this thought seems a bit simple, but the question has much deeper implications.

Re: Is there a universal