King Charles II appointed John Flamsteed his “astronomical observator” on 4 March 1675. As the first holder of this post, Flamsteed was closely involved in the building and equipping of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, which was completed in the summer of 1676. He went on to live and work there until his death on the last day of 1719, surviving four further monarchs. In the early decades of his career he carried out an intensive and systematic observational programme that made him England’s leading practical astronomer; the mural quadrant installed at Greenwich in 1688-89, at Flamsteed’s own expense, set a standard for the equipping of observatories across Europe. The results produced by the Observatory were eagerly sought and made use of by contemporary natural philosophers,…
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Citation: Willmoth, Frances. "John Flamsteed". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 26 May 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5823, accessed 24 November 2024.]
