Thursday 8 March 2012

The Royal Observatory Greenwich

The Royal Observatory (in Greenwich Park) is the home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and is one of the most important scientific historical places in the world. Every place on Earth is measured in terms of its distance east or west from the Greenwich Meridian.


 






The line in Greenwich represents the Prime Meridian of the World - Longitude 0º.  The line itself divides the eastern and western hemispheres of the Earth - just as the Equator divides the northern and southern hemispheres. It is a popular place for a photo opportunity as you can stand either side of the line and so have one foot in each hemisphere!

If you just want the photo and don't want to pay the entrance fee to the Observatory you just have to walk past the clock, through a gate and you will see the line coming down the wall and across the path - photos for free but I'm not sure many tourists realise this.

1 comment:

  1. This is definitely on my list of PLACES TO VISIT! Almost went last time, but the weather was icky so my sister and I stuck to indoor activities we hadn't done yet (London Aquarium and St Paul's). Perhaps next time? ;o)

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