Georg Wilhelm von Struve was a prominent German astronomer and geodesist born in 1793. He is best known for his work in measuring the size and shape of the Earth, contributing significantly to the field of geodesy. Struve's most notable achievement was the establishment of the Struve Arc, a chain of triangulation that extended over 2,500 kilometers from Norway to the Black Sea. In addition to his geodetic work, Struve made important contributions to stellar astronomy. He was involved in the cataloging of stars and was one of the first to measure the parallax of stars, helping to determine their distances from Earth. His efforts laid the groundwork for future advancements in astronomy.