The London Eye which is also commonly known as the Millenium Wheel from Merlin Entertainments is a giant 135-metre (443 ft) tallFerris Wheel located on the banks of the River Thames in the British capital. It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe and the most popular tourist attraction in United Kingdom, but this ride is definitely not for the faint of heart.
Some interesting Facts about the London EyeThe circumference of the wheel is 424m (1.392ft) - meaning that if it were unraveled, it would be 1.75 times longer than the UK's tallest building One Canada Square.Each rotation takes about 30 minutes, meaning a capsule travels at a stately 26cm per second, or 0.9km (0.6 miles) per hour - twice as fast as a tortoise sprinting; allowing passengers to step on and off without the wheel having to stop.
The London Eye carries 3.5 million customers every year. You would need 6,680 fully booked British Airways Boeing 747-400 jumbo jets to move that number of fliers!
The Merlin Entertainments London Eye opens daily except on Christmas Day (25 December) and during its annual maintenance period from 8th January to 21st January 2011 inclusive.
The first flight takes place at 10.00 am.
source and images: LondonEye
