I’ve always been quite fascinated with astronomy and I finally got the chance to visit the Greenwich Royal Observatory on this visit to London.

It’s relatively easy to get there, we took the DLR to Cutty Sark and walked there. The walk to the gates of the Royal Museums Greenwich is easy. What we didn’t expect was this:

According the to route maps there, there are 2 ways to get to the Royal Observatory, there’s an easy & long one for wheelchair bound visitors and a short and uphill one for the rest.

Mind you, after this lovely path was a really steep incline (30º ~ 40º) uphill. It’s really not funny so be mentally prepared for it.

However, when you reach the top, you are greeted with this:

So it does make it ok at the end of the climb.

I would highly recommend a trip to the Royal Observatory because it’s just so interesting and informative despite the small place.

The meridian line itself was the draw initially but after going through the whole museum and its exhibits, I was in complete awe!

Check out this article about the Burgess Clock B, one of the newer additions to the museum, it’s extremely fascinating!! Article here.

I never understood why people placed so much emphasis on the value and precision of a clock/watch until I visited the Royal Observatory. I also never knew that the modern watches and clocks were invented because of maritime navigation to save lives; I thought it was just so we all could have a standardised way of telling time.

I left the museum much humbled with a greater appreciation of time and the theory, concepts and craft of clock/watch making.

After the Royal Observatory visit, we went on to the planetarium. I didn’t enjoy this one as much because it was kinda like watching a video at our Omni-theatre at our Science Centre. I’d definitely like to make another trip to the Royal Observatory for a round of live star-gazing.