Aug. 19, 1646: The birth of John Flamsteed

On Aug. 19, 1646, John Flamsteed was born in Derbyshire, England. Though he left school early due to illness and family obligations, he studied astronomy independently and eventually attended Cambridge University. European maritime trade was rapidly expanding during his lifetime, yet sailors still struggled with the longitude problem – north-south distance was easy to calculateContinue reading “Aug. 19, 1646: The birth of John Flamsteed”
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