New Book Explores Lesser Known Stories of the Royal Observatory Greenwich to Commemorate 350th Anniversary
Publishing on 16 October 2025, Royal Observatory Greenwich: A History in Objects reveals some of the remarkable scientific discoveries and social histories from the oldest state-funded, purpose-built scientific institution in Britain.
The Royal Observatory is one of the most important scientific sites in the world. It the home of the Prime Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time, the base for Universal Coordinated Time today. Treasures from the Royal Observatory in this new book include the pioneering timekeepers made by John Harrison which solved the problem of calculating longitude at sea; the Shepherd Motor Clock, the first public display of GMT, and the timekeeper responsible for the BBC’s time signal (or ‘six pips’); and the Great Equatorial Telescope, the largest refracting telescope in the UK.
Also included are lesser-known stories of people and objects, representing the Observatory’s varied functions as a centre of scientific research and domestic home of the Astronomers Royal. Some of the objects included in this book offer an intimate history – from the wedding dress of Sophia Maskelyne, the wife of the fifth Astronomer Royal to the diaries of Philip Laurie, a Junior Assistant who volunteered to protect the Observatory during the Second World War.
Other objects reveal the realities of working at the Royal Observatory. Nevil Maskelyne’s observing suit, made of silk, wool and linen and even covering the feet, demonstrates how an Astronomer Royal kept the cold winter nights at bay. The astronomer’s alarm clock, invented by Royal Observatory assistant Thomas Taylor, was designed to wake astronomers in time to observe that transit of specific stars. A small fork was used to harvest spider silk, the strongest, thinnest material to mark vertical lines in the field of view on a telescope.
Some of the most important discoveries in the history of science are explored, from first Astronomer Royal John Flamsteed’s 13-foot pendulum clocks to Walter Maunder’s debunking of the theory of Martian canals and the glass photopositive of the 1919 total eclipse that proved Einstein’s theory of relativity.
Thematic sections interspersed through the book also allow for an in-depth focus on particularly important aspects of the Royal Observatory’s history, including the rare Transit of Venus expeditions; the Observatory’s early role in the development of meteorology; the women of the Carte du Ciel, an international project to photograph the Sun in the late nineteenth century; and the Observatory’s sports and social clubs.
Royal Observatory Greenwich: A History in Objects explores the breadth of scientific research and the domestic life of the people who came to define the Royal Observatory’s important international role in timekeeping, navigation and astrophysics – told through tangible links to the Observatory’s past.
About the Author
Dr Louise Devoy isSenior Curator of the Royal Observatory. With a background in astrophysics and the history of science, Louise joined Royal Museums Greenwich in 2013 and has responsibility for researching the history of the Royal Observatory's collections, buildings and people stories.
Bibliographic Information
Publication Date 16 October 2025
ISBN 978-1-906367-91-6
Price £35 / $59.99
Binding Hardback
Format 250 x 178mm
Extent 288pp.
Images Approx. 200
Notes to Editors
- The Royal Observatory Greenwich celebrates its 350th anniversary in 2025. Founded in 1675 by Charles II to solve longitude and improve navigation at sea, it is now one of the most important scientific sites in the world. It is the home of Greenwich Mean Time, the Prime Meridian and the UK’s largest refracting telescope. The Observatory galleries and Peter Harrison Planetarium, London’s only planetarium, help unravel the extraordinary phenomena of time, space and astronomy.
- The Royal Observatory Greenwich is part of Royal Museums Greenwich which also incorporates the National Maritime Museum, the 17th-century Queen’s House and the famous clipper ship, Cutty Sark. This unique collection of museums and heritage buildings form a key part of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also a major centre of education and research. The mission of Royal Museums Greenwich is to enrich people’s understanding of the sea, the exploration of space, and Britain’s role in world history. For more information, visit www.rmg.co.uk
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