Peapix

  • Bing Gallery
  • Extension
Peapix
Bing Gallery
Extension
  • Australia
    All
    Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil

Bing Gallery

Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil
  1. Bing Gallery
  2. Australia
  3. 2018
  4. October 12
  5. '0 Degrees,' laser art by Peter Fink and Anne Bean, in Greenwich, England
arrow_back_ios arrow_forward_ios '0 Degrees,' laser art by Peter Fink and Anne Bean, in Greenwich, England

October 12, 2018

'0 Degrees,' laser art by Peter Fink and Anne Bean, in Greenwich, England

© Norah Saudan/Gett

East meets west at the prime meridian. ‘Hello’ from zero degrees longitude

This laser projected from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, marks the prime meridian, dividing Earth’s Eastern and Western hemispheres and helping travellers to chart their courses by establishing a universally adopted 0 degrees longitude. The meridian itself is essentially an imaginary line, arbitrarily placed. By the early 19th century, most maritime countries had established their own prime meridians to aid in navigation. But on this date in 1884, delegates from 25 nations (of which Australia was not included) met at a conference in Washington, DC where they established Greenwich as the international standard for mapping and time keeping. The decision made sense, as the Greenwich meridian was already widely used. But there was one hold out: France abstained from the vote and used its own prime meridian for several decades before eventually joining other countries in recognising the Greenwich meridian.

water outdoor sky lake river night light

Related Images

Lake Bled from Osojnica viewpoint at sunrise, SloveniaLake Bled from Osojnica viewpoint at sunrise, Slovenia
Jiaxiu Tower under a full moon, Guiyang, Guizhou province, ChinaJiaxiu Tower under a full moon, Guiyang, Guizhou province, China
Container ship near a commercial port in ThailandContainer ship near a commercial port in Thailand
French River, Ontario, CanadaFrench River, Ontario, Canada
The Fraser River near Mount Robson, British Columbia, CanadaThe Fraser River near Mount Robson, British Columbia, Canada
Marsala salt pans, ItalyMarsala salt pans, Italy
Roman-inspired aqueduct, Arkadia Park, PolandRoman-inspired aqueduct, Arkadia Park, Poland
Splügen Pass, Graubunden, SwitzerlandSplügen Pass, Graubunden, Switzerland

Today on Bing

Ammonite Pavement, Monmouth Beach, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England

Ammonite Pavement, Monmouth Beach, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England

Oct 12, 2022
Saint-Malo, Brittany, France

Saint-Malo, Brittany, France

Oct 12, 2021
Red fox in the Netherlands

Red fox in the Netherlands

Oct 12, 2020
Close-up of a dragonfly wing

Close-up of a dragonfly wing

Oct 12, 2019
Coastal beech forest, Nienhagen, Germany

Coastal beech forest, Nienhagen, Germany

Oct 12, 2017

Related Tags

outdoor lake water sky landscape nature tree surrounded mountain cloud sunset ship forest wooded city ocean harbor grass autumn plant
Share photo
Share
Pin
Tweet
Line
Download 4K Ultra HD
Download 1920x1080
  • © 2023 Peapix.com
  • API
  • App
  • Privacy
The images are provided for wallpaper use only.