Talk:Royal Observatory, Greenwich

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

	Architecture Portal This article covers subjects of relevance to Architecture. To participate, visit the Wikipedia:WikiProject Architecture for more information. The current monthly improvement drive is Castle.
???	This article has not yet received a rating on the assessment scale.
???	This article has not yet received an importance rating on the assessment scale.

This article was externally reviewed on December 14, 2005 by Nature. It was found to have 5 errors.

I believe the observatory moved to Cambridge in 1988 not 1990.

Contents 1 Page move 2 One of the nature 50 3 Errors ID'd by Nature, to correct 4 Linkup

[edit] Page move

This page should be moved to Royal Observatory, Greenwich, as this is now the correct name of the institution that remains (with a redirect of course).

Unless there is dissent, I will move the page later this week. Rnt20 13:13, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

Its fine where it is. Royal Greenwich Observatory is a far more likely search phrase than anything with a comma in it. Mrsteviec 17:37, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

Yes, a move seems like a good idea, seeing as that is the correct, current name. Redirects will take care of anyone searching using other names. Vclaw 23:20, 17 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] One of the nature 50

Nature [1] says there is 5 errors in this article (as of december 14). Who can spot them?--Rayc 21:00, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Not errors, but inaccuracies, which could be "factual errors, critical omissions and misleading statements", as correctly noted in the flag. Several could be critical omissions of events between 1675 and WWII. These could include discoveries made at the RGO. One event is that Greenwich Mean Time was first transmitted to the rest of the island of Great Britain in 1847 (see time zone#history). Most Astronomers Royal are not mentioned. It was noted above that the RGO moved from Herstmonceux to Cambridge in 1988, not 1990. Possibly the move required several years, as did the move from Greenwich to Herstmonceux, so this may be a misleading statement rather than an error. The article fails to note that the Prime Meridian is no longer aligned with the brass strip, but is now about 100 meters east of it according to modern reference systems, such as the World Geodetic System and the International Terrestrial Reference Frame. — Joe Kress 06:38, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Maybe someone should let Nature know that anyone can edit this. Including them. If they don't like it, they can just go ahead and fix it. Unlike with Britannica. ;) Kafziel 20:16, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Nature does know that, but why would they do so? Besides, I wish all journals did this, we'd get so much great advise on what needs fixing. -- user:zanimum

Why would they do so? I dunno... why do WE? Kafziel 21:19, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

'cause were crazies who can't resist sharing information, & don't like kids enough to teach. Trekphiler 10:13, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Errors ID'd by Nature, to correct

The results of what exactly Nature suggested should be corrected is out... italicize each bullet point once you make the correction. -- user:zanimum

• ‘The last time that all departments of the RGO were at Greenwich was before World War II. Many departments were evacuated along with the rest of London to the countryside (Abinger, Bradford, and Bath) in 1939.’ – in fact, Magnetic & Meteorological Dept moved to Abinger in 1924 after the arrival of the railway at Greenwich which affected readings. Then in WWII many of the instruments were put into storage for their safe keeping, with work at Greenwich scaled back to the bare minimum.

• Corrected December 22 2005 and clarified 23 Dec. 2005.

• 'The castle now houses the International Study Centre …' – Herstmonceux Science Centre is housed in the Observatory buildings next to the castle, on the castle grounds, not in the castle itself.

User:Nunh-huh took care of this--134.48.75.114 21:25, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

• ‘built as a workplace for the Astronomer Royal’ - not really, it was built to provide data for navigators, the AR was appointed to use the observatory as a means of creating that data.

I took a stab at this one. I'm still not crazy about the structure of the introduction, because the first sentence is stunted and now the paragraph seems to talk more about the Astronomer Royal than about the observatory itself, but at least it specifies that the position was created for the building, and not the other way around.

Kafziel 03:33, 4 January 2006 (UTC)

Looking further, the John Flamsteed article seems to be at odds with this: "On March 4, 1675 he was appointed by royal warrant "The King's Astronomical Observator" — the first British Astronomer Royal, with an allowance of £100 a year. In June 1675, another royal warrant provided for the founding of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, and Flamsteed laid the foundation stone in August." So that article appears to be saying that the observatory was built for the Astronomer Royal. Hmmm. Kafziel 14:27, 4 January 2006 (UTC)

• ‘the Prime Meridian, to which longitude refers, went through the observatory’ suggests the Prime Meridian existed before the Observatory, when in fact it is a creation of the observatory.

User:Nunh-huh took care of this one too.  ALKIVAR™ 06:38, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

• The meridian line in the courtyard is marked by a stainless steel strip now, not brass.

User:Nunh-huh took care of this--134.48.75.114 21:25, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Linkup

Why is it, if I search Royal Observatory, I don't get a redirect here? Trekphiler 10:18, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

That is a possiblility, if most people who are enter "Royal Observatory" are looking for this royal observatory, instead of the others on that disambiguation page. Of course, the dab would then be at the top of this page. — Joe Kress 09:26, 8 January 2007 (UTC)