Christopher Wren designed the Greenwich Royal Observatory in 1675. Two centuries later the Prime Meridian of the world, 0° of longitude, was established there. Besides its historical interest, the site is a leader in bringing astronomy to the public, in part through the Peter Harrison Planetarium.

Greenwich - Peter Harrison Planetarium

Here is the courtyard of the old Royal Observatory in Greenwich. A strip is set into the paving to mark the meridian line. Some visitors are having their picture taken standing on it and in front of the meridian monument. A number of people prefer to have their pictures taken straddling the line, so they can say they have a foot in each hemisphere!

Here is the "onion dome" that houses the Great Equatorial Telescope.

In the foreground is a piece of the tube of the 40-ft telescope of William Herschel.

The south portico of the Altazimuth Pavilion at Greenwich. You can also see just a tiny bit of the Peter Harrison Planetarium on the right.