Greenwich Royal Observatory: an attraction not to be missed

L'Royal Observatory Greenwich is one of the world's leading historical astronomy destinations.

If you'd like to find out more about how to visit the Observatory, you've come to the right place.

Royal Greenwich Observatory: article summary

What to see at the Royal Observatory Greenwich?

King Charles II commissioned the Royal Observatory at Greenwich in 1675. Sir Christopher Wren initially chose the site of Greenwich and began operations in 1676.

Over the next 350 years, the Royal Observatory at Greenwich was one of the founding observatories.

Unsurprisingly, most of the Observatory's main attractions are astronomy-related.

Even those who seem resolutely Earth-oriented are important. to understand our planet's place in the solar system.

Several buildings and terraces make up the Royal Observatory at Greenwich:

• The Flamsteed house
• Edmond Halley's tombstone
• The modern visitor center
• Several domes and telescope buildings
• London's only planetarium
• The Astronomy Centre

Some parts require paid admission, while others are free. It's easy to spend an entire day at explore the region if you love space science and London.

Rendezvous at the prime meridian in Greenwich

The Prime Meridian is the most popular attraction at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. The Greenwich meridian is generally recognized as the world's official meridian.

Without agreement on the prime meridian, we wouldn't be able to provide a coordinate system for the planet, which comes in handy for mapping or visualizing the Earth, or to record astronomical observations.

So, what is the Prime Meridian? This line marks the planet's vertical equator, separating the eastern and western hemispheres.

Its coordinates are 0°0'00 " longitude, i.e. the entire longitude. around the rest of the planet is based on this line.

The first Greenwich meridian was created in 1851, long after the creation of the Royal Greenwich Observatory.

Royal Greenwich Observatory: the great equatorial telescope

The Great Equatorial Telescope is another popular attraction at the Observatory.

This attraction is actually free and accessible from the gift store! At the top of several increasingly narrow staircases, you'll discover an enormous refracting telescope housed in the dome of the Great Equatorial Building. This telescope is the 7ᵉ largest refracting telescope in the world.

The large equatorial telescope was used at the Royal Observatory between 1893, when it was installed, and 1939, when the Second World War broke out.

Today, the Great Equatorial Telescope is used to observe the night sky with the help of a system of computer-assisted guidance and a CCD camera to improve observation accuracy.

The Annie Maunder Astrographic Telescope (AMAT)

The Annie Maunder Astrographic Telescope (AMAT) is the newest astronomical attraction at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

This telescope was unveiled in summer 2018 to observe the lunar eclipse which passed over Europe at the end of July 2018.

It's called an "astrographic" telescope, because it uses cameras to record astronomical observations, rather than the human eye.

AMAT owes its name to Annie Maunder, a pioneering Irish astronomer and astrophotographer.

Although the Altazimut pavilion has limited opening hours and is sometimes closed to the public, telescope tours are organized to find out more about this brand-new telescope.

Peter Harrison Planetarium

The Peter Harrison Planetarium is part of the Observatory's Planetarium and Astronomy Centre building.

It's affectionately known as "London's Planetarium", because it's the only planetarium in London! The facility opened in 2007 can accommodate 120 people for shows.

The planetarium also hosts a number of recurring and special events, including astronomy courses.

The Astronomy Centre

The Astronomy Center is located in the Royal Observatory building. It houses galleries dedicated to astronomy and the work carried out at the Royal Observatory.

There are three main galleries:

• Astronomy Inspires gallery
• Astronomy Explores gallery
• Astronomy Questions gallery

Each gallery features interactive exhibits for astronomers of all ages. The Astronomy Centre also houses a meteorite you can touch.

Greenwich Royal Observatory: greeting the Gagarin statue

Outside the Astronomy Centre is the statue and terrace of Yuri Gagarin.

Here you can see a statue of the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin. This statue, unveiled in 2011, marks the 50ᵉ anniversary of Gagarin's historic flight on April 12, 1961 aboard the Vostok 1 space capsule.

Today, you can enjoy a bite to eat at the Astronomy Café or Wen restaurant on the terrace while Yuri's arm points skywards.

What are the opening hours?

To visit the Royal Observatory, you'll need to go to :

• Every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Royal Observatory at Greenwich is a must-see museum on your visit to London. A real tourist attraction, it will delight space enthusiasts.

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