Royal Observatory,Greenwich. Flamsteed House,the main building of the Royal Observatory,Greenwich,London,England,seen from the south-west. The observatory was founded in 1675 with the building of Flamsteed House. It was the first purpose-built research institution in Britain,and for centuries was the centre of astronomical and meteorological research in the UK. On top of the east turret of the main observatory building is a time ball,a device used to indicate a set time of day. At that time,usually 1pm,the ball was dropped,allowing those within viewing distance to set their clocks accordingly. Photographed circa 1883 |