Unit 5C, Culture Corner, Exercise 2, page 92.0:00
The Royal Observatory.0:19
The Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, is famous for more than just its research into the stars and planets.0:30
This is the place where the history of accurate time calculation begins.0:37
Whenever the sun is exactly over a line called the Prime Meridian at the Royal Observatory, it is precisely midday in the UK.0:42
Up until fairly recently, all world time was calculated from this line.0:52
Though it is an imaginary line circling the Earth, it can be physically seen and even touched on the courtyard floor of the Royal Observatory.0:59
The Royal Observatory was established in 1675 in order to solve a tricky problem.1:08
To be able to navigate their way around the world, sailors needed to know the exact time in order to pinpoint how far they had travelled and where they were.1:15
However, 300 years ago, most clocks were not that accurate.1:27
So the Royal Observatory gathered together some of the most brilliant scientists in Britain to solve the problem, and the answer was the Prime Meridian, a fixed point from which all time would be measured.1:31
As the meridian goes all the way around the planet, it divides the globe into two hemispheres, Visitors to the observatory often have their photograph taken standing over the line with a foot in each hemisphere.1:45
But that is not the only attraction at the Royal Observatory.1:59
It also houses London's only planetarium, as well as the largest refracting telescope in the UK, plus lots of other exhibits.2:03
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