Earth Ellipsoid - Historical Earth Ellipsoids

Historical Earth Ellipsoids

The following table lists 9 ellipsoids which (except Clarke's) were the best estimation of the Earth's figure when they were published:

Name Equatorial axis (m) Polar axis (m) Inverse flattening,
Delambre, France 1810 6,376,985.0 308.6465
Airy 1830 6,377,563.4 6,356,256.913224
Bessel 1841 6,377,397.155 6,356,078.963 299.1528128
Clarke 1866 6,378,206.4 6,356,583.8 294.9786982
Helmert 1906 6,378,200.0 (close to WGS84!) 298.30
International 1924 6,378,388.0 6,356,911.9 297.0
Krassowski 1940 6,378,245.00 (for Eastern Europe) 298.3
Internat. 1967 Luzern 6,378,165.00 (incl. Sat.Geodesy) 298.25
GRS 80 6,378,137.00 6,356,752.31414 298.257222101
WGS 1984 6,378,137.00 6,356,752.3142 298.257223563

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