longitude
Sign in to savethumb|Earth with blue longitude lines and corresponding degrees. thumb|upright=0.9|A Geographic coordinate system|graticule on the [[Earth as a sphere or an ellipsoid. The lines from pole to pole are lines of constant longitude, or meridians. The circles parallel to the Equator are circles of constant latitude, or parallels. The graticule shows the latitude and longitude of points on the surface. In this example, meridians are spaced at 6° intervals and parallels at 4° intervals.]]
AI overview
Longitude refers to the lines running from pole to pole on Earth that help establish a geographic coordinate system for locating positions on the planet's surface. These lines of constant longitude, called meridians, work together with lines of latitude to create a grid that allows us to specify the exact location of any point on Earth.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
9 sectionsContents
- History
- The Chronometer
- Determination
- Values
- Length of a degree of longitude
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|Earth with blue longitude lines and corresponding degrees. thumb|upright=0.9|A Geographic coordinate system|graticule on the [[Earth as a sphere or an ellipsoid. The lines from pole to pole are lines of constant longitude, or meridians. The circles parallel to the Equator are circles of constant latitude, or parallels. The graticule shows the latitude and longitude of points on the surface. In this example, meridians are spaced at 6° intervals and parallels at 4° intervals.]]
Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek letter lambda (λ). Meridians are imaginary semicircular lines running from pole to pole that connect points with the same longitude. The prime meridian defines 0° longitude; by convention the International Reference Meridian for the Earth passes near the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, south-east London on the island of Great Britain. Positive longitudes are east of the prime meridian, and negative ones are west.