The Royal Observatory, Greenwich (ROG; known as the Old Royal Observatory from 1957 to 1998, when the working Royal Greenwich Observatory, RGO, temporarily moved south from Greenwich to Herstmonceux) is an observatory situated on a hill in Greenwich Park in south east London, overlooking the River Thames to the north. It played a major role in the history of astronomy and navigation, and because the Prime Meridian passed through it, it gave its name to Greenwich Mean Time, the precursor to today's Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The ROG has the IAU observatory code of 000, the first in the list. ROG, the National Maritime Museum, the Queen's House and the clipper ship Cutty Sark are collectively designated Royal Museums Greenwich. The observatory was commissioned in 1675 by King Charles II, with the foundation stone being laid on 10 August. The old hilltop site of Greenwich Castle was chosen by Sir Christopher Wren, a former Savilian Professor of Astronomy; as Greenwich Park was a royal estate, no new land needed to be bought. At that time the King also created the position of Astronomer Royal, to serve as the director of the observatory and to "apply himself with the most exact care and diligence to the rectifying of the tables of the motions of the heavens, and the places of the fixed stars, so as to find out the so much desired longitude of places for the perfecting of the art of navigation." He appointed John Flamsteed as the first Astronomer Royal. The building was completed in the summer of 1676. The building was often called "Flamsteed House", in reference to its first occupant. The scientific work of the observatory was relocated elsewhere in stages in the first half of the 20th century, and the Greenwich site is now maintained almost exclusively as a museum, although the Annie Maunder Astrographic Telescope (AMAT) telescope became operational for astronomical research in 2018.
History
Chronology
1675 – 22 June, The Royal Observatory founded by Charles II. 1675 – 10 August, construction began. 1714 - The Longitude Act established the Board of Longitude and Longitude rewards. The Astronomer Royal was, until the Board was dissolved in 1828, always an ex officio Commissioner of Longitude. 1767 - The fifth Astronomer Royal Nevil Maskelyne began publication of The Nautical Almanac, based on observations made at the Observatory. 1818 - Oversight of the Royal Observatory was transferred from the Board of Ordnance to the Board of Admiralty; at that time the observatory was charged with maintaining the Royal Navy's marine chronometers. 1833 - Daily time signals began, marked by dropping a time ball. 1838 - Sheepshanks equatorial, a 6.7 inches (170 mm) aperture refracting telescope installed. 1852 - Time signals were distributed through telegraph lines. 1884 - The International Meridian Conference in Washington D.C. decides that the Greenwich Prime Meridian should be the Prime meridian for the whole world, which it remains for a century. 1893 – The 28-inch Great refractor installed. 1899 - The New Physical Observatory (now known as the South Building) was completed. 1924 – Hourly time signals (Greenwich Time Signal) from the Royal Observatory were first broadcast on 5 February, originally generated from a Dent astronomical regulator (Dent no. 2016). 1931 - Yapp telescope ordered. 1948 - Office of the Astronomer Royal was moved to Herstmonceux in East Sussex. 1957 - Royal Observatory completed its move to Herstmonceux, becoming the Royal Greenwich Observatory (RGO). The Greenwich site was renamed the Old Royal Observatory. 1984 - The IERS Reference Meridian replaces the Greenwich Meridian as the Prime Meridian for the world. Its location is closely related to its predecessor, but runs approximately 102 metres east of it. 1990 - RGO moved to Cambridge. 1998 - RGO closed. Greenwich site was returned to its original name, the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and was made part of the National Maritime Museum. 2011 - The Greenwich museums, including the ROG, became collectively the Royal Museums Greenwich.
Site
There had been significant buildings on this land since the reign of William I. Greenwich Palace, on the site of the present-day National Maritime Museum, was the birthplace of both Henry VIII and his daughters Mary I and Elizabeth I; the Tudors used Greenwich Castle, which stood on the hilltop that the Observatory presently occupies, as a hunting lodge. Greenwich Castle was reportedly a favourite place for Henry VIII to house his mistresses, so that he could easily travel from the Palace to see them. In 1676 the main building of the observatory, now known as Flamsteed House, was completed on Greenwich hill.
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