Brezk-íslenzk viðskipti - 01.12.1946, Blaðsíða 26

SMOKE DRIVES “GREENWICH TIME ”
FROM LONDON
WHEN in 1675, Charles II, on
the advice of the Lords of
the Admiralty, decided to
found a Royal Observatory at Green-
wich, Hyde Park and Camden Hill—
two other London districts—had
both been rejected as far too smoky
and dirty for its location. Now,
nearly 275 years later, with the
octopus encroachment of industrial
London, soot-laden air and reflected
light from adjacent factories are
interfering with accurate observa-
tion.
The Royal Observatory must move.
Its new home will be Hurstmonceaux
Castle in Sussex, a modernised man-
sion, but with traditions dating back
to the days ofthe Norman Conquest.
“ Greenwich Mean Time ’’ is a
by-word known to all. The fact that
the world’s time has for years been
set at Greenwich is due to universal
agreement. Greenwich was chosen
because the Observatory through the
centuries had made the greatest
contribution in all branches of
astronomy. Although the Observa-
tory is to have a new home, there will
be no alteration to the present timing
system. The world will continue to
regulate itself by “ G.M.T.”
* * *
Observatories did not become
general in Europe until the fifteenth
century. Now, there are more than
300 in existence, 90 per cent. of them
in the Northern hemisphere. Great
Britain built the first national obser-
vatory, and set an example that has
been followed in countries through-
out the world.
Architect Sir Christopher Wren,
writing to a friend, described his
new building at Greenwich as being
“ built a little for pomp.” And in
those days, when Greenwich merited
its Saxon derivation “ Grenwic ”—a
green town—the Royal Observatory
overlooking the River Thames was
no doubt impressive.
Charles II gave £500, and a quantity
of bricks and stones from the Tower
of London.towards the world’s first
national observatory, where in 1676,
John Flamsteed, Astronomer-Royal,
took up residence on the hill named
after him. One other small building
By FREDA HOWE
housed the telescope that made up
the original equipment.
Greenwich is rich in historical
association. Its pleasant situation on
the banks of the river made it a
favourite resort of royalty and the
palace, on theground wherethe Royal
Observatory now stands, knew many
English kings: Henry IV, Edward IV,
Henry VII; Henry VIII married
Katharine of Aragon and Anne of
Cleves from there. It was the birth-
place of the ill-fated Mary Tudor, half
sister of Queen Elizabeth, who was
also born there.
Greenwich Observatory
The Gapp Reflector
Some of the standard clocks are
housed in the cellars of the old palace
under Flamsteed House; but in spite
of many other links with the past
Greenwich is chiefly associated in the
minds of Londoners with its Observa-
tory, which set the standard of time
for the whole world long before the
“ six pips,” the B.B.C’s time signal,
became a commonplace.
Until about 1840 signals were tele-
graphed to the railways from the
Observatory, and from 1840 right up
till 1940 the time ball on the roof of
Flamsteed House was dropped at
1 p.m. each day to give Greenwich
Mean Time to the ships in the river,
as far as the Port of London, from
which it could be seen on a clear day.
TIM, the Post Office talking clock, is
checked every hourfrom Greenwich.
During the war some of the big
clocks were moved for safety into the
country. Much of the other equip-
ment was also evacuated. The mag-
netic testing establishment and the
chronological section responsible for
the Nautical Almanack, which were
removed to Somerset, are not likely
to be brought back to Greenwich.
Founded originally to aid navigators
by exactly determining the position
of the moon and stars, the compila-
tion of the Nautical Almanack is one
of the Observatory’s earliest func-
tions—it gives the position of the
moon for every hour during the year.
Some time will elapse before the
move to Hurstmonceaux can take
place—priority must obviously be
given to the housing of citizens before
buildings can be erected for the
various instruments—and the trans-
fer is expected to spread over several
years. Altogether the Observatory
will have at its disposal some 370
acres, at about 100 to 150 feet above
sea level.
* * *
Hurstmonceaux has a reputation
as good as anywhere in England for
clear skies, while at any rate the air
is clean and the telescopes will not
be obscured by soot.
Part of the mansion will be used as
offices, and it will, of course, be the
official residence of the Astronomer
Royal, Sir Harold Spencer Jones.
All modern scientific achievements
—radio, radar, television—demand-
ing high frequency signals, depend for
efficient application on accurate time
measurement. At the Royal Obser-
vatory accuracy down to a hundred
millionth part of a second is now
within sight, and when this is attained
attempts will be made to better it
and the results passed on for the
benefit of the scientists. The Air
Ministry’s meteorological readings
are checked with observations made
at Greenwich.
Information is received and signals
exchanged from observatories all
over the world. Conferences of the
International Astronomical Union are
held at intervals to discuss progress
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