The Struve Geodetic Arc is a unique 19th-century geodetic survey system for determining the size and shape of the Earth. It was carried out by the professor of astronomy Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve and the military topographer Colonel Carl Friedrich Tenner between 1816 and 1855.
The scientific purpose of the Struve geodetic arc was to determine the flattening of the Earth towards the poles, in accordance with Newton's theory. of gravitation
The practical purpose of the arc was to perform measurements and obtain data to facilitate the mapping of Tsarist Russia and the Kingdom of Sweden.
The political purpose of the arc was to raise the political and military prestige of the countries involved, as triangulation was considered to be the "great science" of the 19th century.
