Looking Down a Well: A Brief History of Geodesy
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- Visualizations by:
- Chris Smith
- View full credits
Geodesy is a field of study that deals with the measurement and representation of the Earth, and it all started when a clever human named Eratosthenes discovered that you could measure the circumference of the Earth by looking down a well. Over time, the field of geodesy has expanded and evolved dramatically, and NASA uses technology like radio telescopes, ground surveys, and satellites to contribute! Learn more about geodesy in this video!
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
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Animator
- Chris Smith (KBR Wyle Services, LLC) [Lead]
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Writer
- Chris Smith (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
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Video editor
- Chris Smith (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
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Scientists
- Frank Lemoine (NASA/GSFC)
- Herbert Frey (NASA/GSFC)
- Stephen Merkowitz (NASA/GSFC)
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Producer
- Chris Smith (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
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Narrator
- Steven J. Wall (MUNIZ)
Series
This visualization can be found in the following series:Tapes
This visualization originally appeared on the following tapes:-
Looking Down A Well: A Brief History of Geodesy
(ID: 2012003)
Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 5:00AM
Produced by - Brendan Antiochos
Related Pages
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ID: 11010 Produced Video
Sizing Up Earth
Read moreAt a given point in time, Earth usually seems stable. But over centuries, lands rise and sink, continents move and the balance of the ocean shifts. These changes are tracked through the science of geodesy, dedicated to measuring and precisely charting the size and shape of Earth. Geodesy began more than 2,000 years ago, when the Greek scholar Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of Earth with impressive accuracy. In modern geodesy, scientists use multiple techniques to map the world's ice sheets, watch sea level creep up and monitor the impact of earthquakes, droughts and floods. This animated video looks at the long history of geodesy and highlights some of the technologies NASA uses, such as radio telescopes and long-range lasers, to take the basic measure of our planet. ||
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