The Royal Observatory in London
– Greenwich Nice Time

The Royal Observatory in London is located in Greenwich, on a hill overlooking the River Thames.

It was founded by King Charles II in 1675 and was intended as a place to study the stars and their relation to navigation, and it also was charged with keeping time for the nation.

One of the most notable things about the spot is the Prime Meridian, as this spot is the one from which all other longitude is measured.

The Royal Observatory has several main attractions that you will want to see.

The Greenwich Meridian Line is a perennial favourite for visitors; getting your picture taken standing on the line seems to be almost a requirement for guests at the observatory.

This line divides the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, and that fact makes it a pretty special line, indeed.

The telescope at the observatory is another very popular attraction, at 28 inches it is the largest of its kind on the UK.

The lens weighs 200 pounds and was so difficult to produce that it took eight years to complete.

The telescope has been in use since 1893, and in winter the observatory runs observing evenings where visitors can look through the telescope and get a spectacular view of the night sky.

The Time Ball is a rather curious feature of the Royal Observatory.

It is a large red ball set atop Flamsteed House, and was one of the first public time signals.

Installed in 1833, it was meant to help passing ships as well as Londoners to keep accurate time.

At 12:55 PM every day, the ball begins rising slowly to the top of its pole, and at 1:00 PM exactly, it drops.

It still operates on the same schedule today, although the Time Ball will not be operated in extremely windy weather.

Don’t miss the Camera Obscura located in a summerhouse on the courtyard, as well.

The Royal Observatory in London also has a large and amazing collection of watches, clocks, and other timepieces.