THE GREENWICH Royal Observatory (The Royal Observatory Greenwich), in England, celebrates this June 22 350 YEARS OF HISTORY. Known worldwide for housing the Greenwich Meridianglobal reference for the measurement of time and position on the planet, the place is considered by many to cradle of astronomy modern.
The origin of the Observatory goes back to 1675when King Carlos II decided to create a scientific institution dedicated to solving one of the biggest challenges of navigation: How to determine longitude in the sea. At that time, navigators already knew how to calculate latitude, but longitude remained a mystery – a critical problem for trade, diplomacy, exploration and military interests.
The search for precision in maritime navigation
- Greenwich’s royal observatory was created with a very clear mission: develop a precise method to measure longitude in the ocean.
- For this, the king named John Flamsteed as first “Astronomical Observator”position that would become known as Royal astronomerand ordered architect Christopher Wren the design of the original building.
- For decades, generations of astronomers were dedicated to observing the movements of the Moonof the stars and the planets, using as reference an imaginary line that crossed the observatory itself: the local meridian.
- This work resulted in the creation of the first Nautical Almanaca set of tables that helped sailors predict the position of the stars throughout the year.
- The definitive solution to the problem of longitude came in the eighteenth century, when the watchman John Harrison developed a timer capable of operating in ships, a revolution, as the clocks Pendulum were not accurate on the high seas.
- The combination of this instrument with the data from the Nautical Almanac Finally allowed browsers to determine longitude safely.
Greenwich as a world reference
The influence of the observatory was definitively consolidated when, in the 1880s, Two thirds of the world ships already used maps based on Greenwich’s meridian. This recognition was formalized in 1884during an international conference that officialized Greenwich as the Zero Meridianglobal reference for longitudes measurement.
The decision also led to the creation of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)which became the world standard for time measurement – a growing need for the expansion of rail networks and communications. From then on, Greenwich’s royal observatory has consolidated itself as a fundamental center for astronomy, navigation and time standardization on the planet.
Scientific advances and historical challenges
With the issue of longitude resolved, Greenwich’s real observatory was dedicated to other areas, such as the study of Earth’s magnetic fieldthe observation of planetary transit and the analysis of binary stars. For this, invested in cutting -edge equipment, such as the Great Equatorial Telescopeinstalled in 1893, with a 28 inch lens, protected by the iconic summit known as “Onion Dome”.
THE observatory It also reflected social changes. In the 1890s, he began hiring women as “Computerors”responsible for processing astronomical data. Among them was ANNIE MAUDERone of the first women to stand out in British astronomy, which contributed significantly to the study of solar spots And, together with her husband, she created the famous “Butterfly Diagram”which represents the sun’s activity cycle.
Throughout its history, the Observatory has faced situations of tension, as a anarchist attack in 1894 and the bombings of World War IIwhich damaged part of Onion Dome. At the time, the main telescope had already been dismantled and transferred to another location, avoiding the total destruction of the equipment.
From Research Center to Historical Heritage
Postwar, the growing luminous pollutionmagnetic interference and trains vibrations have made Greenwich an inappropriate place for accurate astronomical observations. So in 1948the Observatory was transferred to Herstmoncexin the interior of England. Even so, in 1971the Great Equatorial Telescope He returned to Greenwich, where he remains as a historic piece.
Today, Greenwich’s real observatory works as Museum and Center for Scientific Disseminationoffering exhibitions, guided tours, lectures and activities that attract people interested in the history of astronomy and the exploration of space. “We share the wonders of time and space with our visitors through galleries, tours and activities about our legacy,” he said Daisy Chamberlainassistant curator of the History of Science of the Observatory, to Space.com.
Astronomy in the 21st century in Greenwich
Despite the limitations imposed by London’s luminous pollution, Greenwich’s royal observatory keeps active the tradition of astronomical observation. Currently, astronomers use the modern Annie Maunder Astrographic Telescopewhich combines a Schmidt-Cassgrain telescope and a smaller refractor, to record planetary transits and produce high quality images of the cosmos.
“We have the privilege of maintaining practical astronomy living in the observatory, using technologies that our predecessors could never imagine,” he explained Jake Fosterastronomer of the real observatory of Greenwich. “With astrophotography and live broadcasts of astronomical events, we want to bring the wonders of the universe to everyone.”
