Latitude: Difference between revisions
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'''Latitude''' is distance north and south of the [[equator]], | '''Latitude''' is distance north and south of the [[equator]], measured in [[degree (angle)|degrees]]. Parallels are used to show latitude. Because all points that lie along the same parallel are an identical distance from the equator, they all have the same latitude designation. The latitude of the equator is 0 degrees, while north and south poles like 90 degrees north and 90 degrees south, respectively.<ref name="stern">http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/Slatlong.htm</ref> | ||
As all [[meridian]]s are halves of [[great circle]]s, a degree of latitude is equal to about 111 [[kilometer]]s (69 [[mile]]s), just as a degree of longitude along the equator is. However, [[Earth]] is not a perfect [[sphere]] but is slightly flattened at the poles and bulges slightly at the equator.<ref name="stern"/> Because of this, there are small differences in the length of a degree latitude. | As all [[meridian]]s are halves of [[great circle]]s, a degree of latitude is equal to about 111 [[kilometer]]s (69 [[mile]]s), just as a degree of [[longitude]] along the equator is. However, [[Earth]] is not a perfect [[sphere]] but is slightly flattened at the poles and bulges slightly at the equator.<ref name="stern"/> Because of this, there are small differences in the length of a degree latitude. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
Revision as of 18:42, 31 January 2008
Latitude is distance north and south of the equator, measured in degrees. Parallels are used to show latitude. Because all points that lie along the same parallel are an identical distance from the equator, they all have the same latitude designation. The latitude of the equator is 0 degrees, while north and south poles like 90 degrees north and 90 degrees south, respectively.[1]
As all meridians are halves of great circles, a degree of latitude is equal to about 111 kilometers (69 miles), just as a degree of longitude along the equator is. However, Earth is not a perfect sphere but is slightly flattened at the poles and bulges slightly at the equator.[1] Because of this, there are small differences in the length of a degree latitude.