ROYAL OBSERVATORY GREENWICH

Royal Observatory Greenwich, a Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site , is the home to Greenwich Mean Time and Prime Meridian. It is situated in Greenwich Park in southeast London overlooking the river Thames offering splendid views of Queen’s House and National Maritime Museum. The observatory is a historic attraction owing to its contribution in the fields of astronomy and navigation. As a marker of time and distance, the observatory houses several ancient telescopes, amazing clocks, astronomical galleries and a planetarium.

Located on the top of a hill at the Greenwich Royal Park in London, the Royal Observatory Greenwich was established in the 17th century by King Charles II and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Discover this historical site and more with our curated Europe travel packages.

The observatory is touted to be the home of British astronomy as it was from here that the scientists of the time mapped the stars to help the sailors navigate at sea. The Prime Meridian Line passes through this observatory and the ‘Greenwich Mean Time’ is calculated here. The Flamsteed House is a noteworthy building for it is the original part of the observatory where the renowned Time Ball drop signal has been in operation since 1833. You can also visit the Octagon Room, Time Galleries and Astronomers Royal Apartment as Flamsteed House.

The Shepherd Gate Clock on the outer wall of the observatory is a momentous attraction since it was the first clock to show the accurate Greenwich Mean Time to the public. You can also see the onion-dome roof of the observatory that makes space for the Great Equatorial Telescope which is the largest telescope in the UK. A new Peter Harrison Planetarium has been built in the Royal Observatory and hosts shows every day.

Highlights

• Witness the historic Prime Meridian Line and learn about the Greenwich Mean Time while placing one foot in the east and one foot in the west of the Prime Meridian of the world.
• Marvel at The Great Equatorial Telescope which is one of the largest refracting telescopes in the world.
• Catch a glimpse of the Shepherd Gate Clock, Harrison clock and the Airy’s Transit Circle telescope that determined the exact location of the Prime Meridian.
• Get up close with and take a divine journey through the stars in a planetarium show hosted by an expert astronomer at the Peter Harrison Planetarium.
• Visit the Octagon Room where you will find astronomical instruments and clocks lining the walls of the observatory.

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