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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 upper Northwest Washington in 1893, where it is sited on top of a hill overlooking Massachusetts Avenue , amidst perfectly circular grounds.
Today, the U.S. Naval Observatory is the preeminent authority in the areas of time-keeping and celestial observation. It determines and distributes the timing and astronomical data required for accurate navigationThis article concerns navigation in the sense of determination of position and direction on the surface of the Earth. See Navigation (disambiguation) for other meanings. There are several traditions of navigation . Polynesian navigation The Polynesian nav and fundamental astronomyAstronomy which etymologically means " law of the stars," (from Greek: + nomos) is a science involving the observation and explanation of events occurring outside Earth and its atmosphere. It studies the origins, evolution, physical and chemical propertie, but perhaps it is best known to the general public for its highly accurate atomic clockAn atomic clock is a type of clock that uses an atomic frequency standard as its counter. Early atomic clocks were masers with attached equipment. Today's best atomic frequency standards (or clocks) are based on more advanced physics involving caesium bea.
Since 19741974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). Events January-February January 5 Dungeons & Dragons officially released. February 4 Patricia Hearst, the 19 year old granddaughter of publisher William Randolph Hearst, is kidnapped Number One Observatory CircleNumber One Observatory Circle is the official residence of the Vice President of the United States. Located on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, DC, the house was built in 1893 for its superintendent. In 1923, the Chief of, a house situated in the grounds of the observatory (formerly the residence of its superintendant), has been the official residence of the Vice President of the United StatesThe Vice President of the United States is the second-highest executive official of the United States government, the person who is "a heartbeat from the presidency. As first in the presidential line of succession, the Vice President becomes the new Presi.