The Royal Observatory Greenwich An untold history

As it celebrates its 350th anniversary, Emily Winterburn uncovers some of the hidden figures - from instrument-makers to YouTubers - behind one of the world's earliest official astronomy institutions

- Emily Winterburn

This month marks the 350th anniversary of the Royal Observatory Greenwich, a cornerstone of modern astronomical science.

Founded in 1675, this grand institution is known as the home of Greenwich Mean Time and Prime Meridian, where visitors flock to stand astride the line marking 0° longitude. While the spotlight often falls on those at the top, the Astronomers Royal, the Observatory’s legacy has also been shaped by a host of unsung others: instrument-makers, observers, human ‘computers’ and civil servants whose work underpins centuries of scientific discovery. To mark the anniversary, we take an alternative look at the Royal Observatory and some of those who have shaped its remarkable history.

Abraham Sharp (c1653-1742)

We begin our story not with John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal, but with his instrument-maker Abraham Sharp. The son of a wool merchant, Sharp grew up in Bradford, northern England, and attended Bradford Grammar School. His career began at first as a schoolteacher and writer on mathematics in Liverpool, after which he moved to London where he encountered various mathematicians at the city’s coffee houses – the favourite place for discussion and intellectual exchanges before the growth of learned societies. It was here that he came to the attention of Flamsteed, who invited Sharp to join him at the Royal Observatory in 1684.