Changing from west to east in just one step. This is only possible in a few places in the world. One of the most beautiful and significant is the historic Royal Observatory at Greenwich in London.
The equator is the axis that divides the Earth into north and south. The equator lies on the middle path between the north and south poles. The vertical axis that divides the world into west and east, i.e. the prime meridian, can be set at any location. Therefore, until 1884, different prime meridians were in use. As international travel became more and more popular, there was a growing need for agreement on a single meridian. This was achieved at the International Meridian Conference in Washington, D.C. in 1884. The choice fell on the Greenwich Observatory, not least because it had precise measuring instruments and England was considered to be one of the leading naval powers.
The observatory is the second oldest of its kind in Europe. After the founding of the Royal Greenwich Observatory in 1675, John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal, commissioned the construction of the observatory, which was also the reference point for world time until 1928. The time at which the sun is at its highest point in the sky above Greenwich is referred to as Greenwich Mean Time. Today, however, Coordinated Universal Time, UTC, is used as world time. The reason for this is that UTC is an artificial time based on high-precision atomic clocks that is constantly being adjusted. It is therefore much more accurate than GMT.
Visitors to London can take a trip to Greenwich Park and walk in the park or explore the Royal Museums Greenwich, with a view of the Thames. In addition to interesting facts about navigation tools and astronomy, the museum also offers insights into the former apartment of court astronomer Flamsteed.
Opening hours / admission prices: https://www.rmg.co.uk/plan-your-visit
Photo: Royal Greenwich Observatory in London. Credit: Wikipedia/originalpickaxe.
