Royal Observatory Greenwich

The Royal Observatory Greenwich has been home to the Prime Meridian since the late 19th century. Just as the Equator divides the Earth in the northern and southern hemisphere, the Prime Meridian divides the earth into the Western and Eastern hemisphere. Visit the Royal Observatory Greenwich to experience a unique feeling of being right at the center of the earth. Stand astride the Prime Meridian and let your one foot be on the Western hemisphere and the other foot be on the eastern hemisphere. This is one of the most unique experiences that is included in your Royal Observatory Greenwich tickets.

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With your Royal Observatory Greenwich tickets you can Marvel at one of the United Kingdom's largest telescopes which is the Great Equatorial Telescope. The equatorial telescope is a 28 inch refracting telescope built by Grab telescope company in Dublin and it was installed in the Royal Observatory Greenwich in the year 1893. The telescope's iconic 'onion Dome' roof has been a Landmark since the time it was installed but to truly appreciate its value you will need to step inside and learn more about it. The equatorial telescope will be getting new lighting, new displays and new astronomy footage which will be taken by the telescope itself once refurbished it will be reinstalled in its place of honor.

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Use your Royal Observatory Greenwich tickets to begin a fascinating journey into space with a visit to the Peter Harrison Planetarium. The planetarium has interesting lessons for kids and in-depth astronomy courses and community events for all science enthusiasts & there are several planetary shows that feature the various heavenly bodies that are in space. The planetarium also has quite a number of shows such as The Sky Tonight, which is a guide to the night sky, and touch space adventure which is a child-friendly space activity. There are shows that feature the solar system and beyond and you also get to learn about the birth, life, and death of a star at the planetarium

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The Octagon Room is the oldest part of the Royal Observatory Greenwich. It was first commissioned by King Charles II and designed by Sir Christopher Warren who was a famous architect during that time. The Observatory was completed in 1676 and the Octagon Room came into existence. The room holds several astronomical instruments, time keepers and various other objects that carry out observations for the Observatory. The octagon room has high windows and several south facing views giving a panoramic view of the night sky.

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Maritime Greenwich is a World Heritage site and once you climb to the top of the hill in the park just outside the Royal Observatory you can enjoy a serene view of the River Thames backed with the beautiful London Skyline. This is especially true if you take in the view at dusk when the shimmering lights of the city take the panoramic view to a whole new level.

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The Shepherd Gate clock was the first clock ever to show Greenwich Mean Time to the public. This extraordinary clock has several unique features and the first thing that anyone would notice is that it has 24 hours on its display rather than the usual 12 hours. That means that at 12 noon the hour hand is pointing straight down instead of straight up. The Shepherd Gate Clock is also known as the motor clock as it depends on another clock for its accuracy. The clock inside the observatory which is highly accurate is known as the motor clock. What makes this clock revolutionary is that before its introduction each individual town or village kept local time using a sundial which means that every town or village had a different time. The Greenwich time synchronized the Nation's time.

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The John Harrison timekeepers are an incredible technological invention that has made naval navigation so much more accurate and drastically reduced the number of shipwrecks. These clocks were able to keep the ships from being lost at sea and allow sailors to determine their longitude. It took John Harrison most of his lifetime to design the H4 which is his most successful watch. The speciality of these clocks are their extensive anti friction abilities that helps them run without any lubrication. The John Harrison clocks are one of the greatest milestones in the clock making industry.

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Transit Circle is the telescope that gave us the Greenwich Mean Time and helped define the Prime Meridian. The Circle Telescope was designed by an English mathematician and astronomer George Biddle Airy. This was the telescope that was used to precisely define longitude zero degree at the conference held in Washington DC in 1884. This iconic telescope established the international time zone system and led to the start of the universal day. Even more fascinating is the way this telescope is used, first the roof of the Royal Observatory is opened to allow the telescope to observe the sky. Next the star was chosen for measurement then the telescope is tilted to an angle to ensure accuracy.

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When the Royal Observatory was commissioned by King Charles II in 1675 he appointed John flamesteed as the first Astronomer Royal. The house got its name from the first astronomer Royal, and was the original building of the Royal Observatory. The Flamsteed house has the time ball on top of it which is the world's earliest public time announcement device. Camera Obscura is another device that you can use to enjoy a panoramic view of Greenwich and its surrounding areas from the Flamsteed house. While here, you can visit the Astronomers Royal Apartments and also learn the story of the longitude and marvel at the Harrison clocks.

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