United States Naval Observatory

The United States Naval Observatory (USNO) is one of the oldest scientific agencies in the United States. It is located in Northwest Washington, D.C.. It is one of the very few observatories located in an urban area (when it was initially constructed, it was far from the light pollution generated by the then-smaller city center).

Related Topics:
Scientific - United States - Northwest - Washington, D.C. - Observatories - Light pollution

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Established in 1830 as the Depot of Charts and Instruments, the observatory's primary mission was to care for the U.S. Navy's chronometers, charts and other navigational equipment. It calibrated ships' chronometers by timing the transit of stars across the meridian. Initially located downtown in Foggy Bottom (near the Lincoln Memorial and the Kennedy Center), the observatory moved to its present location in 1893, atop Observatory Hill overlooking Massachusetts Avenue, amidst perfectly circular grounds.

Related Topics:
1830 - U.S. Navy's - Chronometer - Transit - Star - Meridian - Foggy Bottom - Lincoln Memorial - Kennedy Center - 1893 - Massachusetts Avenue - Circular

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Today, the U.S. Naval Observatory is a major authority in the areas of time-keeping and celestial observation. It determines and distributes the timing and astronomical data required for accurate navigation and fundamental astronomy, but perhaps it is best known to the general public for its highly accurate ensemble of atomic clocks.

Related Topics:
Navigation - Astronomy - Atomic clock

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Since 1974, Number One Observatory Circle, a house situated in the grounds of the observatory (formerly the residence of its superintendent), has been the official residence of the Vice President of the United States.

Related Topics:
1974 - Number One Observatory Circle - Vice President of the United States

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