Greenwich Observatory, which had the status of "royal" for a long time, has become the main astronomical organization not only in the UK, but also in the world.
The initiator of its creation was Charles II. The main purpose of the creation was to clarify the geographical coordinates important for navigators. Scattered data on the location of geographic points often caused the loss and even death of ships.
Greenwich Observatory was supposed to become the very unifying link on which the sailors could rely. The collected and processed data would make it easier to navigate the expanses of the seas and oceans and find the way even when deviating from the course.
Measurement was based on longitude, a geographic coordinate used to calculate the distance between a person's location and another specific point.
Calculating longitude on land was not difficult - besidestime, geodetic instruments have already appeared. But on the sea (or ocean), the use of the usual methods was not possible, since there were no distinctive objects on the surface of the water. A reliable method for determining longitude in the seas did not exist until the eighteenth century.
England, being a maritime power, was actively looking for ways to determine longitude in open water spaces.
Of course, it was possible to focus, as before, on the stars. But this was clearly not enough. And these landmarks did not work in cloudy weather and fog.
In 1675 (March) Charles II appoints John Flamsteed Astronomer Royal. A young 28-year-old pastor is instructed: "… with special diligence and care, set about reconciling the tables of the movement of the heavens and the position of the luminaries and perfecting the art of navigation …"
In the same year (in March) the Greenwich Observatory starts work. The results of observations are published in the first "Maritime Almanac" only two years after the start of observations.
Greenwich Observatory's groundbreaking work is literally revolutionizing maritime navigation and enabling the UK to become the premier nautical charter.
However, many countries continued to use their own longitude systems.
Italy was guided by the meridian in Naples, Switzerland - in Stockholm, Spain - in Ferro, France - in Paris. But the need for a singlethe world's reference system of time and determination of longitude was obvious.
In this regard, it was decided to organize an International Conference (1884). For a whole month, representatives of twenty-five countries could not find a compromise. In the end, the starting point was Greenwich in London, now also known as the Greenwich meridian. They decided to measure longitude in two directions - positive (east longitude) and negative (west).
Street lighting in London became too bright by 1930, and further observation of the stars in the previous mode was no longer possible. The Greenwich Observatory moved to Herstmonceau (Sussex, 70 km from the former location of the observatory). The remaining complex of buildings passed to the National Maritime Museum. In 1990, the astronomers had to move again, this time to Cambridge. In 1998, the Greenwich Observatory (Royal) was closed.
