Royal Observatory Greenwich

A permanent display at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the historic home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian of the world, where visitors can stand straddling the eastern and western hemispheres.

The Royal Observatory in Greenwich is the setting for this permanent display, which centres on the Greenwich Meridian Line and Greenwich Mean Time. Visitors learn how the meridian came to be adopted as the Prime Meridian of the world in 1884, and the display draws on the history of timekeeping and navigation that made the site significant.

The subject ranges across space, stars and astronomy. The visit is designed to let people stand with one foot in each hemisphere on the meridian line, which is the most direct way of grasping its position on the globe. The stories told on site connect the observatory's scientific past with the wider question of how the world is mapped and measured.

The display suits anyone curious about astronomy, navigation or the history of time, and it works well for families, since the material is accessible to younger visitors while still rewarding those with a deeper interest in science. The exhibition is a visiting period, so people can come and go at their own pace while the display is open.