350 years of the Royal Observatory

"Whereas, in order to the finding out of the longitude of places for perfecting navigation and astronomy, we have resolved to build a small Observatory within our Park at Greenwich upon the highest ground … with lodging rooms for our Astronomical Observator and his Assistant." 

This order, given by King Charles II, led to the founding of the Royal Observatory in 1675. Three hundred and fifty years later, it is one of the most important scientific sites in the world.

The Royal Observatory was always intended to be both a working institution and a home for the 'Astronomer Royal'. John Flamsteed was the first person to hold the position, and the first to live at the Observatory. The original building is still known as 'Flamsteed House' today.

Flamsteed's task was to observe and record the positions of the stars, in order to “find out the so-much-desired longitude of places".

This search for a way to measure longitude – a person's position east or west – came to define the Royal Observatory. It led to the world's first Prime Meridian, and lay the foundations for Greenwich Mean Time and the global time system we still use today.

But these breakthroughs only tell part of the story. In these buildings, generations of astronomers spent many cold nights carefully observing the night sky. Their work transformed how we explored our Earth and changed our understanding of the Universe. Follow in their footsteps this anniversary year, and be a part of Royal Observatory history.