Cosmic geodesy

The cosmic Geodesy includes all methods of Geodesy , geodetic astronomy and satellite positioning based on measurements to extraterrestrial bodies.

history

The term was mainly coined by Alfred Berroth and Walter Hofmann , who in 1960 published the standard work of the same name, which extends far into the future (see literature). Due to the unexpectedly strong development of satellite geodesy since then , however, the focus of the subject has shifted from the " eclipse methods " - which have now migrated back to astronomy - and the lunar parallax procedure to the measurements and orbital movements of artificial satellites.

Sub-areas

As for today's research and university teaching topics, “cosmic geodesy” currently includes

• the geodetic astronomy and geometric geoid determination ,
• the geodetic application of stellar and solar eclipses ,
• the entire satellite geodesy (geometric and dynamic , methods of lunar parallax ),
• Large parts of the operative satellite positioning (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Doppler and laser ranging, etc.),
• the metrological side of the geodetic reference systems and the monitoring of the earth's rotation ,
• and the geodetic application of VLBI (interferometry of quasars ).

However, new developments that are not yet foreseeable cannot be ruled out.

The above assignment is largely undisputed in geodesy and thus includes a large part of higher geodesy and small parts of engineering geodesy . The academic teaching, however, usually divides the subject into lecture / exercise units on astro - or satellite geodesy, precision localization (or navigation ) and VLBI / astrometry, whereby the umbrella term "cosmic" can also be omitted.

See also

• Earth measurement and satellite geodesy
• GPS , GLONASS , Galileo
• Astro and geographic location determination
• Perpendicular deviation , geoid
• Precession , nutation , celestial mechanics
• Lunar Laser Ranging , Earth Rotation Service IERS .

literature

• Alfred Berroth, Walter Hofmann: Cosmic Geodesy. Braun, Karlsruhe 1960.
• Kosmičeskaja geodezija. Foreign Literature Publishing House, Moscow 1963.