History: 350th Anniversary of the Royal Observatory
Course overview
Course description
The lecture will consist of the following sections:
Why create a Royal Observatory? In the opening part of the lecture, we will explore the pressures that led to Royal sanction for the Observatory. Among the most pressing needs were the use of astronomy to further Britain’s position as an international maritime nation. Accurate astronomical research was needed to improve navigation, cartography and crucially timekeeping. It would be through this work that the fixing of longitude would become possible
1. Longitude – in this part of the lecture we consider the story of the search for dependable longitude and the astonishing work of John Harrison
2. The Prime Meridian – in this section we discuss the question of accurate time and the establishment of the Greenwich Meridian and the impact of standardised time on the world
3. The Astronomer Royal – in this part we consider the contribution of various Astronomer Royals – John Flamsteed and Edmond Halley amongst them
4. Later – in this section we consider the changing role of the Observatory in the 20th & 21st Century
5. The Observatory in our Culture – in this final section we examine the place of the observatory in our culture with reference to depictions in literature and art and a reflection on its impact on our lives
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