Introduction

Abstract

Since the dawn of civilization, man has looked to the heavens with awe searching for portentous signs. Some of these men became experts in deciphering the mystery of the stars and developed rules for governing life based upon their placement. The exact time to plant the crops was one of the events that was foretold by the early priest astronomers who in essence were the world’s first surveyors. Today, we know that the alignment of such. structures as the pyramids and Stonehenge was accomplished by celestial. observations and that the structures themselves were used to measure the time of celestial events such as the vernal equinox. The chain of technical developments from these early astronomical surveyors to the present satellite geodesists reflects man’s desire to be able to master time and space and to use science to further his society.