John Flamsteed -- Royal Observatory, Greenwich, London, UK
N 51° 28.679 W 000° 00.122
30U E 708176 N 5707243
John Flamsteed, appointed in 1676 by King Charles II was the first Astronomer Royal
Waymark Code: WMT469
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/22/2016
Views: 1
A sign inside Flamsteed House gives more details on Britiain's first Astronomer Royal, John Flamsteed:
"JOHN FLAMSTEED
Appointed by King Charles II in 1675, John Flamsteed was the first Astronomer Royal. His main task was to improve the accuracy of British star charts.
A natural obsessive and perfectionist, Flamsteed was the ideal man for the job.
Night after night for 40 years, Flamsteed used his telescope in a highly accurate clock to record the exact time and altitude. Each star crossed his meridian line. On the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic, his fellow astronomer and rival, Edmund Halley, carried out similar work for the stars of the southern hemisphere."
Type of Historic Marker: Interpretive sign
Historical Marker Issuing Authority: Royal Museums Greenwich
Age/Event Date: 01/01/1676
Related Website: [Web Link]
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