Wil Tirion

Wil Tirion was trained in graphic arts and has always had an interest in astronomy and especially star charts. In 1983 he became a self-employed full time Uranographer. Since then he has contributed to many atlases, books and magazines. In 1987 he received the ' Dr. J. van der Bilt-prize', a Dutch award for amateur astronomers. In 1993 this was followed by a second, more international ' award', when a minor planet was named after him: (4648) Tirion = 1931 UE.The Royal Observatory, Greenwich is the home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian of the World, making it the official starting point for each new day and year. It is also home to London's only planetarium, the Harrison timekeepers and the UK's largest refracting telescope. It runs the annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition.