Greenwich, London ~ 2010

  

Greenwich is a borough in London, England, on the banks of the River Thames. Known for its maritime history, it's home to the Cutty Sark, a restored 19th-century ship, the huge National Maritime Museum, and the classical buildings of the Old Royal Naval College. The modern O2 arena sits on a peninsula to the north. Overlooking peaceful Greenwich Park, the Royal Observatory is the site of the Greenwich meridian line 

At 0° longitude, where the Eastern and Western Hemispheres meet, 

Greenwich has astronomy and seafaring in its soul.

 

The home of Greenwich Meantime stands atop the hill in Greenwich Park.

The earliest part of the observatory, Flamsteed House, was designed by Christopher Wren and completed in 1676 to become the first state-funded scientific institution in Britain.

Just beyond the gate to the complex’s courtyard is the Meridian Line at exactly 0° longitude, and you can tiptoe the line between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

The museum reveals the history of the observatory and allows you to go under the dome to see the 28-inch Great Equatorial Telescope, the 7th largest instrument of its kind in the world.

The galleries present dozens of groundbreaking instruments like John Harrison’s marine timekeepers, and his H4 “sea watch”, which changed maritime navigation forever in the 1750s.

 

 

Greenwich Park