Why prime meridian called Greenwich?

Answer 1

The Prime Meridian based on Greenwich, England, is at 0 degrees longitude and all other meridians are "X" degrees east or west of it. The Prime Meridian was established for navigation and is the basis on which International time is kept.

The International Date line is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Prime Meridian and is the point which seperates yesterday from today. The line was drawn by international agreement, and was skillfully drawn so as not to cross any land to keep all areas of a country in the same day (and time zone). There are few bends and kinks in the International Date line to achieve this, but if it was a straight line, it would generally be at 180 degrees E or W longitude.

The Prime Meridian and the International Date Line are the two lines that separate the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

Answer 2

The Greenwich Meridian, based at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, was established by Sir George Airy in 1851. By 1884, over two-thirds of all ships and tonnage used it as the reference meridian on their maps. In October of that year, at the behest of U.S. President Chester A. Arthur, 41 delegates from 25 nations met in Washington, D.C., USA, for the International Meridian Conference. This conference selected the Greenwich Meridian as the official Prime Meridian due to its popularity.

Answer 3

Meridian Lines are imaginary lines which run from the North Pole to the South Pole. The prime meridian runs through Greenwich, England because that is where the Greenwich observatory is located. It was this observatory that set up the current system of meridians and it made sense to make the first (the prime) run through "the primary transit" instrument (main telescope) at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

The convention for this was established by "The International Meridian Conference" held at the behest of the President of the United States of America, where 41 delegates from 25 nations met in Washington DC, USA - October 1884 to agree on the issue.

The conference established the following important principles:

1. It was desirable to adopt a single world meridian to replace the numerous one's already in existence.
2. The Meridian passing through the principal Transit Instrument at the Observatory at Greenwich was to be the 'initial meridian'.
3. That all longitude would be calculated both east and west from this meridian up to 180°.
4. All countries would adopt a universal day.
5. The universal day would be a Mean Solar Day, beginning at the Mean Midnight at Greenwich and counted on a 24 hour clock.
6. That nautical and astronomical days everywhere would begin at mean midnight.
7. All technical studies to regulate and extend the application of the decimal system to the division of time and space would be supported.

Answer 4

Greenwich is a location in England outside of London. It is named after Greenwich. So, it is Greenwich mean time and believe it or not there is a white line painted there that is the prime meridian .

Answer 5

It is a meridian and it passes through Greenwich.

Answer 6

Because much of the work on the need for a prime meridian had been done there and that was what the international committee decided.