Airy Transit Circle
E900751
The Airy Transit Circle is a historic 19th-century astronomical telescope at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, that defined the Greenwich Prime Meridian and was crucial for precise timekeeping and navigation.
Statements (51)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
astronomical instrument
ⓘ
meridian circle telescope ⓘ scientific heritage object ⓘ transit telescope ⓘ |
| angleMeasurement | meridian transits at 0° longitude ⓘ |
| category |
history of astronomy
ⓘ
navigational instruments ⓘ timekeeping instruments ⓘ |
| constructionEnd | 1850 ⓘ |
| constructionStart | 1847 ⓘ |
| coordinateSystemDefined | Greenwich Prime Meridian NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| country | United Kingdom ⓘ |
| designedBy | George Biddell Airy NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| era | 19th century ⓘ |
| hasComponent |
collimators
ⓘ
graduated circles ⓘ meridian marks ⓘ micrometers ⓘ pivot bearings ⓘ telescope tube ⓘ |
| hasFunction |
to define the reference meridian for British maps
ⓘ
to define the reference meridian for global timekeeping ⓘ to measure declination of stars ⓘ to measure right ascension of stars ⓘ |
| heritageStatus | historic astronomical instrument ⓘ |
| inception | 1851 ⓘ |
| locatedIn |
England
ⓘ
Greenwich NERFINISHED ⓘ London NERFINISHED ⓘ Royal Observatory, Greenwich NERFINISHED ⓘ United Kingdom ⓘ |
| material |
brass
ⓘ
iron ⓘ |
| namedAfter | George Biddell Airy NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| operator | Royal Observatory, Greenwich NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| partOf | Royal Observatory, Greenwich NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| significantEvent | adoption of its meridian as the international prime meridian in 1884 ⓘ |
| status | preserved ⓘ |
| touristAttraction | Royal Museums Greenwich NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| usedBy |
British cartographic authorities
ⓘ
Royal Navy ⓘ astronomers at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich ⓘ |
| usedFor |
astronomical observations of star transits
ⓘ
calibration of marine chronometers ⓘ defining the Greenwich Prime Meridian ⓘ determining longitude ⓘ geodetic measurements ⓘ navigation ⓘ precise timekeeping ⓘ |
| usedIn |
establishment of Greenwich Mean Time
ⓘ
standardization of world time zones ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.