Jekabpils in Struve Geodetic Arc

The international conference "Struve geodetic Arc: its continuation in time and space" was held on 22 August in Jekabpils, Latvia.

The Struve Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea, through 10 countries and over 2,820 km. These are points of a survey, carried out between 1816 and 1855 by the astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve, which represented the first accurate measuring of a long segment of a meridian. This helped to establish the exact size and shape of the planet and marked an important step in the development of earth sciences and topographic mapping. The original arc consisted of 258 main triangles with 265 main station points. The listed site includes 34 of the original station points, with different markings, i.e. a drilled hole in rock, iron cross, cairns, or built obelisks. Latvia has undertaken special responsibility for two geodetic points -Jekabpils and Sestukalns, because they are on the World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. W. Struve's intention to include triangulation triangles of Livonia and of Estonia into section of the common meridian arc was realized through Jekabpils. Astronomical station Jekabpils was established and surveyed in May -June 1826. In the course of time the astronomical station Jekabpils remained undestroyed.

Nowadays the municipality has taken responsibility for the preserving of this cultural heritage place and there was a new triangulation tower point model designed and built in the same historic place. The representatives of the international conference from Struve geodetic arc countries were the witnesses of its opening ceremony.