Safety at Sea -- Flamsteed House, Royal Observatory, Greenwich, London, UK
N 51° 28.679 W 000° 00.122
30U E 708176 N 5707243
An interpretive sign inside Flamsteed House explains the historical importance of solving the longitude problem for the British empire
Waymark Code: WMT46R
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/22/2016
Views: 1
Solving the longitude problem of being able to navigate accurately at sea unleashed the British Fleet to roam the world with speed and efficiency -- and be able to get home too.
An interpretive sign explains more details of how a clock led to the rise of the most powerful Navy on Earth during the 17th-19th centuries:
"SAFETY AT SEA
The timekeeper and lunar distance methods were ultimately both successful solutions to the longitude problem, thus solving the greatest navigation problem in the world- twice!
For many years. Both methods were used, often on board the same ship.
As a result, there was an extraordinary expansion of the British merchant fleet and huge increases in international trade and exploration. The sextant, the nautical almanac and the chronometer guided ships safely to the remotest corners of the Earth.
New routes, shorter voyages and greater safety at sea all flowed from the work of the Astronomers Royal and from the technical achievement embodied in John Harrison's marine timekeepers."
Type of Historic Marker: Interpretive sign
Historical Marker Issuing Authority: Royal Museums Greenwich
Age/Event Date: 01/01/1760
Related Website: [Web Link]
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