Nevil Maskelyne
- Category : Science-Astronomy
- Type : MGP
- Profile : 4/6 - Opportunistic / Role Model
- Definition : Split - Large
- Incarnation Cross : RAX Maya 3
Biography
The fifth English Astronomer Royal. He held the office from 1765 to 1811. Maskelyne developed a method of determining longitude using the position of the moon, which became known as the lunar distance method. While chronometers were more accurate for this task, the lunar distance method was cheaper and was the predominant method used well into the 19th century. Since Maskelyne's observations and calculations were made at the Royal Greenwich Observatory, the Greenwich meridian eventually became a common base for longitude worldwide and was adopted internationally as the Prime Meridian in 1884. Maskelyne introduced several other practical improvements, such as the measurement of time to tenths of a second. He died on 9 February 1811, Greenwich, England.