King Charles II , who founded the Royal Observatory Greenwich in 1675 instructed the first Astronomer Royal John Flamsteed `` forthwith to apply himself with the most exact care and diligence to the rectifying the tables of the motions of the heavens , and the places of the fixed stars , so as to find out the so-much desired longitude of places , for the perfecting the art of navigation . ''
King Charles II , who founded the Royal Observatory Greenwich in 1675 instructed the first Astronomer Royal John Flamsteed , `` to apply himself with the most exact care and diligence to the rectifying of the tables of the motions of the heavens , and the places of the fixed stars , so as to find out the so much desired longitude of places for the perfecting of the art of navigation . ''