Object coordinates latitude and longitude. What are geographic coordinates: latitude and longitude

Instructions

First you must determine geographic longitude. This value is the deviation of an object from the prime meridian, from 0° to 180°. If the desired point is east of Greenwich, the value is called east longitude, if west - longitude. One degree is equal to 1/360 part.

Pay attention to the fact that in one hour the Earth rotates by 15° of longitude, and in four minutes it moves by 1°. Your watch must show accurate time. To find geographic longitude, you need to set the time to noon.

Find a straight stick 1-1.5 meters long. Stick it vertically into the ground. As soon as the shadow from the stick falls from south to north, and the sundial “shows” 12 o’clock, note the time. This is local noon. Convert the received data to Greenwich Time.

Subtract 12 from the result obtained. Convert this difference to degrees. This method does not give 100% results, and the longitude from your calculations may differ from the true geographic longitude of your location by 0°-4°.

Remember, if local noon occurs earlier than noon GMT, this is longitude; if later, it is . Now you must set the geographic latitude. This value shows the deviation of an object from the equator to the north (north latitude) or south (latitude) side, from 0° to 90°.

Please note that the length of one geographic degree is approximately 111.12 km. To determine the geographic latitude, you need to wait until nightfall. Prepare a protractor and point its lower part (base) at the polar star.

Place the protractor upside down, but so that the zero degree is opposite the polar star. Look at what degree the hole in the middle of the protractor is opposite. This will be the geographic latitude.

Sources:

• Determining latitude and longitude
• how to determine location coordinates

With the development of interregional labor relations, as well as for personal interests, the need arises to move from city to city, other populated areas, or to places where you have never been before. There are now many ways to determine coordinates desired destination.

Instructions

Start installing the downloaded file by clicking the “install” button and wait for the program to download.

Select a starting location and check the box.

Also define coordinates You can use Bing.com.
Enter the area you are interested in in the fields opposite the logo and click search.

Right-click on Directions from here and a window will appear on the left side. Indicate your destination area. Red flag is the starting area, green flag is the destination area. There on the left side, select how you would like to get there.

Find the elevation angle using the set screw and Vernier scale.

Globes and maps have their own coordinate system. Thanks to this, any object on our planet can be applied to them and found. Geographic coordinates are longitude and latitude; these angular values ​​are measured in degrees. With their help, you can determine the position of an object on the surface of our planet relative to the prime meridian and equator.

Instructions

Having determined local noon, note the clock readings. Then make an adjustment to the resulting difference. The fact is that the angular speed of movement is not constant and depends on the time of year. So add (or subtract) an amendment to the result obtained.

Let's look at an example. Let's say today is May 2. The clocks are set according to Moscow. In summer, Moscow summer time differs from world time by 4 hours. At local noon, as determined by the sundial, the clock showed 18:36. Thus, world time is currently 14:35. Subtract 12 hours from this time and get 02:36. The amendment for May 2 is 3 minutes (this time should be added). Converting the obtained result into an angular measure, we obtain 39 degrees west longitude. The described method allows us to determine it with an accuracy of up to three degrees. Considering that in an emergency you will not have a table of the equation of time at hand to make adjustments to the calculations, the result may differ from the true one.

To determine geographic latitude, you will need a protractor and a plumb line. Make a homemade protractor from two rectangular strips, fastening them in the form of a compass.

Attach a thread with a weight in the center of the protractor (it will act as a plumb line). Point the base of the protractor at the North Star.

Subtract 90 degrees from the angle between the base of the protractor and the plumb line. We got the angle between the polar star and the horizon. Since it has a deviation from the pole axis of only one degree, the angle between the direction to the star and the horizon will be the desired latitude of the area in which you are located.

Sources:

• Determining latitude and longitude

Knowing the latitude where your home is located can be very helpful. Despite the fact that today the exact location can be easily determined using compact navigators, navigating the terrain using the “old” methods is still relevant and very interesting.

You will need

• Minimum knowledge of the starry sky, as well as:
• - two slats,
• - bolt with nut,
• - protractor

Instructions

To determine geographic latitude places, you need to make a simple protractor.
Take two rectangular wooden planks one and a half to two meters long and hinge their ends together using the principle of a compass. Stick one leg of the compass into the ground and set it vertically and plumb. The second should move quite tightly on the hinge. A bolt with can be used as a hinge.
These preliminary works must be done during the day, before dusk. Naturally, the weather must be cloudless enough to allow you to observe the starry sky.

At dusk, go out into the yard and look for the North Star in the sky.
To determine the location, find the Big Dipper. To do this, turn your face to the north and try to see the seven that form the outline of a large bucket. Usually this constellation is easy to find.
Now mentally draw a line between the two outer stars of the bucket towards the bell and measure five segments on it equal to the distance between these stars.
You will find yourself on a fairly bright star, which will be Polaris. Make sure you are not mistaken: the star found should be the end of the small dipper - the constellation Ursa Minor.

Point the movable leg of the compass strictly at the North Star. To do this, you will have to turn the device a little and again align the vertical rail in a plumb line. Now, as it were, “aim” at the star - as surveyors do - and fix the position of the device by tightening the nut on the hinge.
Now, using a protractor, measure the angle between the direction towards the star and the vertical post. This can be done in the light by moving the device indoors.
Subtract 90 from the result obtained - this will be the latitude of your place.

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To ensure that some object can always be found on a map or terrain, an international coordinate system was created, including latitude and longitude. Sometimes the ability to determine your coordinates can even save your life, for example, if you are lost in the forest and want to convey information about your location to rescuers. Latitude determines the angle formed by a plumb line from the equator and the desired point. If the place is located north of the equator (higher), then the latitude will be north, if south (lower) it will be south.

You will need

• - protractor and plumb line;
• - watch;
• - nomogram;
• - map;
• - a computer connected to the Internet.

Instructions

Latitude determines the angle formed by a plumb line from the desired point. If the place is located north of the equator (higher), then the latitude will be, if south (lower) - southern. To find out latitude in the field, using improvised means, take a protractor and a plumb line. If you don't have a protractor, make one from two rectangular strips, fastening them in the form of a compass so that you can change the angle between them. Attach a thread with a weight in the center; it will act as a plumb line. Point the base of the protractor at polar. Then subtract 90? from the angle between the plumb line and the protractor. Since the angular angle from the axis of the celestial pole at the polar star is only 1?, then the angle between the horizon and the polar star will be equal to space, so feel free to calculate this angle and, thus, latitude.

If you have a watch, note the length of the day between sunrise and sunset. Take the nomogram, put the resulting length of day on the left side, and mark the date on the right side. Connect the obtained values ​​and determine the point of intersection with the part. This will be the latitude of your location.

To determine latitude according to, use horizontal lines - parallels. Look at the value on the right and left of each line. If the location you are looking for lies directly on the line, the latitude will be equal to this value. If you are looking for latitude place located between two lines, calculate approximately at what distance it is located from the nearest parallel. For example, the point is located approximately 1/3 of the parallel 30? and 2/3 of 45?. This means that approximately its latitude will be equal to 35?.

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Useful advice

You can find out both the latitude and longitude of your location using a satellite navigation system, so when traveling into uncharted wilderness, be sure to take this essential item with you.

Any point on the ground has its own geographic coordinates. With the advent of GPS navigators, determining the exact location has ceased to be a problem, but the ability to understand the map - in particular, determine and longitude, is still quite relevant.

You will need

• - Globe or world map.

Instructions

The equator divides the globe into two halves: the upper, or northern, and the lower, southern. Pay attention to the parallels - ring lines encircling the globe parallel to the equator. These are the lines that define latitude. At this point it is equal to zero, and as it moves towards the poles it increases to 90°.

Find it on the globe or map your point - let's say it's Moscow. Look at what parallel it is located, you should get 55°. This means that Moscow is located at 55° latitude. Northern because it lies north of the equator. If you, for example, were looking for the coordinates of Sydney, it would be at 33° south latitude - because it lies south of the equator.

Now search for map England and its capital - London. Please note that it is through this one that one of the meridians passes - the lines stretching between the poles. The Greenwich Observatory is located near London; it is from this place that longitude is usually measured. Therefore, on which the observatory itself lies is equal to 0°. Everything that is west of Greenwich up to 180° is considered western. That which is to the east and up to 180° is to eastern longitude.

Based on the above, you can determine longitude Moscow - it is equal to 37°. In practice, to accurately indicate the location of a populated area, they determine not only , but also minutes, and sometimes . Therefore, the exact geographical coordinates of Moscow are as follows: 55 degrees 45 minutes north latitude (55°45?) and 37 degrees 37 minutes east longitude (37°38?). The geographical coordinates of the above-mentioned Sydney, which lies in the Southern Hemisphere, are 33° 52" south latitude and 151° 12" east longitude.

Because cyclamen is a rare “guest” in the garden, many gardeners are sure that it is exclusively a flower. However, cyclamen feels great in a personal plot if you give it a place in the partial shade of fruit trees or evergreen shrubs, protecting it from drafts and direct sunlight. Cyclamen is good for arranging an alpine hill. The choice of this arrangement of the flower is explained by its location in the wild, where it is found both in the forest and among the rocks.

Distribution area of ​​cyclamens in the wild

Cyclamen is a heat-loving plant that prefers moderate humidity and shade. Therefore, most species grow in thickets of forests or bushes, as well as in rock crevices. In the territory of the former Soviet Union, cyclamens are found in Ukraine, Crimea, the southwest of the Caucasus, the south of Azerbaijan, and the Krasnodar region. Among the countries of Central Europe, France, Germany, Poland, and Bulgaria can boast of cyclamen habitat, where plants are mainly found in the south and southeast.

Species from these regions, or “natives” from northern Turkey, are quite suitable for cultivation in the garden conditions of the European part of Russia, especially since the eastern Mediterranean is a real cyclamen: Turkey, Iran, Syria, Cyprus, Greece, Israel. In the western Mediterranean, Italy and Spain, cyclamens also grow. On a hill near the Italian lake Castel Kaldorf, you can observe their friendly flowering, which rarely happens in nature. After all, most wild species are on the verge of extinction. Northern Tunisia and Algeria are rich in cyclamen.

Varieties of wild cyclamens

It must be said that depending on their habitat, cyclamen have different endurance. For example, the ivy-leaved cyclamen or Neapolitan, common in central Europe, can easily overwinter in the snowy Russian winter with a temperature of -20°C. European cyclamen (purple) stands out from the general range of heat-loving species. It is characterized by a silvery leaf pattern and flowering not in the fall, like most cyclamen, but starting in June.

Sometimes they treat cyclamens growing in the territories of Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, and Adjara extremely unfairly, calling all species “Caucasian”. After all, here they distinguish such varieties as Circassian, Abkhazian, Colchian (Pontic), spring, graceful, Kosian. The latter is quite well known in Iran, Turkey, Syria, Israel and Bulgaria. Prefers to grow among coniferous vegetation. Its flowers are larger the further to the east. The largest flowers are considered to be cyclamen Kos on the shores of the Caspian Sea, in Azerbaijan.

In the south of France and the mountainous regions of Spain, a small species of cyclamen is common - Balearic, which belongs to the spring-flowering species. African cyclamen is considered the most heat-loving, its distinctive features are bright green large leaves that appear on the surface after the flowers. You can guess the habitat of many types of cyclamen by their name: African cyclamen, Cypriot cyclamen, Grecum, Persian. Persian, like African, does not tolerate even mild frosts.

The Russian name for rowan comes from the word “ripple”. Most likely, this is due to the fact that its clusters are bright and noticeable even from afar. But this name refers only to trees with red and yellow fruits. The widespread black rowan has a completely different scientific name - chokeberry, although it also belongs to the Rosaceae family.

Rowan is a unique tree that has an extensive root system, which allows it to grow in a variety of latitudes, even in permafrost conditions, and withstand frosts down to -50 degrees Celsius. As a rule, the height of rowan is about 4–5 m, but in mild climates there are specimens reaching 15 m in height. In cold and harsh areas it does not grow higher than 50 cm.

Rowan belongs to fruit trees, but its fruits are not berries at all, as is commonly believed, but so-called false drupes. They have an oval-round shape and a core with seeds, so their structure is similar to an apple, only much smaller in size. Rowan begins to bear fruit when it reaches the age of 7 - 8 years, and is often long-lived - some trees live up to 200 years. Rowan, growing for more than 20 years, can produce a harvest of over 100 kg per year.

Places of distribution

Rowan grows everywhere throughout the forest and forest-steppe zone of the European part of Russia (with the exception, perhaps, of the Far North), in the wooded regions of the Crimea and the Caucasus. It can often be found in coniferous and mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, along the banks of lakes and rivers, in fields and along roads. It does not like shady places and mainly grows not in deep forests, but on the edges and clearings of forests. Rowan is often a decoration of city parks, alleys and squares.

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When faced with an emergency situation, the first thing a person must do is be able to navigate the terrain. Sometimes it is necessary to determine the geographic coordinates of your location, for example, to transmit to the rescue service or for other purposes. There are several handy ways to do this. But first, a little theory:

The equator divides the globe into the northern and southern hemispheres. There are also parallels and meridians. Parallels are circles parallel to the equator. Meridians are circles perpendicular to the equator. The Prime Meridian passes through the Greenwich Observatory in London. The system of parallels and meridians is a coordinate grid that is used to determine location and target designation.

Geographic coordinates consist of latitude and longitude, which are angular values ​​that can be used to determine the position of a point in any part of the globe.

Geographic longitude is the angle measured from the prime meridian, from 0° to 180°. If the count is to the west of Greenwich, then it will be western longitude, if to the east, then it will be eastern. Longitude shows how far a point is to the west or east of the prime meridian.

Geographic latitude shows how far a point is north or south of the equator, and makes an angle from 0° to 90°, measured from the plane of the equator to one of the poles - north or south. It follows that latitude can also be northern and southern.

Schematic definition of latitude and longitude
Geographic coordinates are measured in degrees, minutes and seconds. A degree of latitude is 1/180 of the meridian. The average length of one degree of latitude corresponds to approximately 111.12 km. The average length of one minute corresponds to 1852 m (10 cables, or 1 nautical mile). The diameter of the Earth (the length of the Earth's axis) between the poles is 12,713 km.

Determination of geographic longitude
A degree of geographic longitude is 1/360 of the equator. Since the Earth makes a full revolution on its axis in 24 hours, then in 1 hour the Earth travels 15° of longitude. Respectively:

1° longitude = 4 min. time
1´ = 4 sec time
1" = 1/15 sec time

Based on the above, there is a way to determine the geographic longitude of your location using a watch. To do this, you need to have a clock whose time is set at a place with a known longitude and record its readings at local noon, and convert the difference of this time into degrees:

Definition of local noon
1). Recalculate your watch to Greenwich Time, taking into account zone corrections (the place in which it is set, if not Greenwich), maternity time and daylight saving time.

2). Determine noon in this area. To do this, you need to use a gnomon - the oldest sundial, i.e. stick 1-1.5 m stick strictly vertically into the ground. And mark the length of the falling line by making marks on the ground. As the sun approaches its zenith, the shadow will begin to shorten, and at the moment when it becomes shortest, this will be the true solar time at noon in a given area, that is, your sundial shows 12 o'clock. I would like to note that at noon the shadow of the stick will be directed strictly from south to north.
3). Time your watch and it will be Greenwich Mean Time. Next, the correction from the table should be subtracted from this time, taking into account the sign, since the angular velocity of movement is not constant and depends on the time of year, thereby bringing Greenwich mean time to true solar time.
Now calculate the difference between true solar time at noon, i.e. 12 o'clock and the resulting Greenwich time, taking into account the correction. Convert the resulting result into degrees; this will be the geographic longitude of the area.

Example: the date is May 2, your watch is set to Moscow time. Moscow summer time differs from world summer time by 4 hours. At local noon the clock showed 18 hours 36 minutes. Therefore, Greenwich Mean Time at that moment was 14 hours 36 minutes. We make an amendment +3min for May 2nd. Subtract 12 hours from this, we get 2 hours 36 minutes. taking into account the amendment for May 2, we add 3 minutes and convert to angular measure. And we get 39° west longitude, because local noon came later than Greenwich Mean Time.
14:36 ​​+ 3min = 14:39 - true solar time
14:39 - 12h = 2:39 = 39° west longitude

Table 1 - Add a correction (with its own sign) to the clock readings to obtain true solar time

The second way is to bring the true solar time at noon to the average, adding to it the amendment from Table 2, i.e., to 12 o’clock add the amendment taking into account the sign


Table 2 - Reduction of true solar time to average

Example: Date October 7th. You have determined solar noon, i.e. 12 o'clock. Your watch is set to GMT and shows 8:20. True solar time must be converted to mean time, since Greenwich clocks also show mean time. This means the correction for October 7 is -12 minutes. (Table 2)

12h - 12min = 11:48 - local mean time 11:48 - 8:20 = 3:28 = 55° east longitude, since local noon occurred before Greenwich time

In fact, tables 1 and 2 differ only in signs. For example, on May 14 from table 1 the amendment will be +3min, and from the second -3min. Therefore, you can use, for example, Table 1 and bring the average time to the true solar time, and if you bring the true solar time to the average, then take the opposite sign of the correction. In my opinion, it is more convenient to use the first method, then you will always make an adjustment to Greenwich Mean Time and calculate the difference from 12 o'clock (true noon)

Or even simpler - first calculate the difference between true solar time and Greenwich mean time, and make an amendment to the result obtained taking into account the sign from Table 2.

Remember, if at the moment of local noon the Greenwich time is less than 12 o'clock, then your longitude is eastern, if it is more than 12 o'clock in the afternoon, then it is western. This method allows you to determine longitude with an accuracy of 2-3°, and being in extreme situations, you most likely will not have a table of the equation of time at hand to correct for the time of year, so only due to this the result will differ from the true one by 0° - 4°, depending on the time of year.

Determination of geographic latitude
Latitude can be defined in several ways.

Method number 1. Using a protractor and a plumb line. A protractor can be made from two rectangular strips fastened in the form of a compass so that you can change the angle between them.

1). Attach a thread with a weight in the center of the protractor, which acts as a plumb line.
2). Point the base of the protractor at the polar star.
3). Subtract 90° from the angle between the base of the protractor and the plumb line. The result obtained will be the angle between the polar star and the horizon. Since the polar star has an angular deviation from the celestial axis of only 1°, the angle between the polar star and the horizon will be the latitude of the area in which you are located.

Method No. 2.
1). Record the length of the day between the sun rising on the horizon and its complete sunset.
2). In the nomogram for determining latitude, put the resulting length of day on the left side and the date on the right side. By connecting the obtained values ​​of the straight line, determine where it intersects with the middle part. This intersection will be the latitude of your area.

Nomogram for determining geographic latitude

A system of geographic coordinates is necessary in order to accurately determine the location of an object on the Earth's surface. As you know, this system consists of geographic latitude and longitude. The first element of this system is the angle between the local zenith (noon) and the equatorial plane, ranging from 0 to 90 degrees west or east of the equatorial boundary. Longitude is the angle formed by two planes: the meridian passing through a given point in the area and the Greenwich meridian, i.e. zero point. From the latter, the longitude count begins, ranging from 0 to 180 degrees east and west (eastern and western longitude). Knowing how to navigate the terrain using latitude and longitude will help you communicate your exact coordinates in the event of an emergency, when you find yourself in an unfamiliar place that is not indicated on the map, or lost in the forest. You can learn more about how you can determine the latitude and longitude of your location.

Clock for determining location by latitude and longitude

How to determine a place by latitude and longitude

Determination of local geographic longitude is carried out using ordinary watches. To do this, it is necessary to set on them the exact time of the location at the moment. Then you should determine the time of local noon, a time-tested method will help with this: you need to find a meter or one and a half meter stick and stick it vertically into the ground. The length of the line of the falling shadow will indicate the time intervals that need to be detected. The moment when the shadow is shortest is the local zenith, i.e. The gnomon shows exactly 12 noon, and the direction of the shadow is from south to north.

At this time, you need to check the time on your watch - this will be Greenwich Mean Time. From this value you need to subtract the indicator that is taken from the table of the equation of time. This correction arises due to the variability of the angular velocity of movement and the dependence on the time of year. Taking this correction into account, the average Greenwich time is converted to true solar time. The resulting difference between this solar time (i.e. 12 hours) and Greenwich time, taking into account the correction, must be converted into a degree value. To do this, you need to know that in one hour the Earth rotates by 15 degrees (if you divide 360 ​​degrees by 24 hours) of longitude, or by 1 degree in four minutes. If noon in a given area occurs before Greenwich, indicate eastern longitude in your calculations; if later, then western longitude. The closer the coordinates of the desired area are to the polar regions, the more accurate the longitude measurements will be.

Once the longitude value has been found, you can begin to determine the latitude value of a specific area. First you need to determine the length of daylight hours, which begins with sunrise and ends with sunset. Next, you need to create a nomogram, i.e. determination of latitude: on the left side the value of daylight hours is indicated, on the right - the date. If you combine these values, you can determine where latitude intersects with the midpoint. The location found will indicate the local latitude. When determining latitude relative to the southern hemisphere, it is necessary to add 6 months to the required date. The second method is to find latitude using a regular protractor: to do this, fix a plumb line (thread with a weight) in the center of this tool, and its base is pointed at the North Star. The angle formed by the plumb line and the base of the protractor must be reduced by 90 degrees, i.e. subtract this value from its value. The value of this angle shows the height of the North Star, i.e. the height of the pole above the horizon. Since geographic latitude is equal to the magnitude of the pole above the horizon of a particular place, this value will indicate its degree.

And it allows you to find the exact location of objects on the earth’s surface degree network- a system of parallels and meridians. It serves to determine the geographic coordinates of points on the earth's surface - their longitude and latitude.

Parallels(from Greek parallelos- walking nearby) are lines conventionally drawn on the earth's surface parallel to the equator; equator - a line of section of the earth's surface by the depicted plane passing through the center of the Earth perpendicular to its axis of rotation. The longest parallel is the equator; the length of the parallels from the equator to the poles decreases.

Meridians(from lat. meridianus- midday) - lines conventionally drawn on the earth's surface from one pole to another along the shortest path. All meridians are equal in length. All points of a given meridian have the same longitude, and all points of a given parallel have the same latitude.

Rice. 1. Elements of the degree network

Geographic latitude and longitude

Geographic latitude of a point is the magnitude of the meridian arc in degrees from the equator to a given point. It varies from 0° (equator) to 90° (pole). There are northern and southern latitudes, abbreviated as N.W. and S. (Fig. 2).

Any point south of the equator will have a southern latitude, and any point north of the equator will have a northern latitude. Determining the geographic latitude of any point means determining the latitude of the parallel on which it is located. On maps, the latitude of parallels is indicated on the right and left frames.

Rice. 2. Geographical latitude

Geographic longitude of a point is the magnitude of the parallel arc in degrees from the prime meridian to a given point. The prime (prime, or Greenwich) meridian passes through the Greenwich Observatory, located near London. To the east of this meridian the longitude of all points is eastern, to the west - western (Fig. 3). Longitude varies from 0 to 180°.

Rice. 3. Geographical longitude

Determining the geographic longitude of any point means determining the longitude of the meridian on which it is located.

On maps, the longitude of the meridians is indicated on the upper and lower frames, and on the map of the hemispheres - on the equator.

The latitude and longitude of any point on Earth make up its geographical coordinates. Thus, the geographical coordinates of Moscow are 56° N. and 38°E

Geographic coordinates of cities in Russia and CIS countries

Many of us became familiar with such concepts as longitude and latitude in childhood thanks to the adventure novels of Stevenson and Jules Verne. People have been studying these concepts since ancient times.


In that era when there were no perfect navigation instruments in the world, it was the geographic coordinates on the map that helped sailors determine their location at sea and find their way to the desired areas of land. Today, latitude and longitude are still used in many sciences and make it possible to accurately determine the position of any point on the earth's surface.

What is latitude?

Latitude is used to set the location of an object relative to the poles. The main imaginary line of the globe, the equator, passes at the same distance from and. It has zero latitude, and on both sides of it there are parallels - similar imaginary lines that conventionally intersect the planet at equal intervals. To the north of the equator there are northern latitudes, to the south, respectively, southern latitudes.

The distance between parallels is usually measured not in meters or kilometers, but in degrees, which allows you to more accurately determine the position of the object. There are 360 ​​degrees in total. Latitude is measured north of the equator, that is, points located in the Northern Hemisphere have a positive latitude, and points located in the Southern Hemisphere have a negative latitude.

For example, the north pole lies at a latitude of +90°, the south pole - -90°. Additionally, each degree is divided into 60 minutes, and minutes into 60 seconds.

What is longitude?

To find out the location of an object, it is not enough to know this place on the globe relative to the south or north. In addition to latitude, longitude is used for the full calculation, establishing the position of a point relative to east and west. If in the case of latitude the equator is taken as a basis, then longitude is calculated from the prime meridian (Greenwich), passing from the North to the South Pole through the London borough of Greenwich.

On the right and left sides of the Greenwich meridian, ordinary meridians are drawn parallel to it, which meet each other at the poles. Eastern longitude is considered positive, and western longitude is negative.


Like latitude, longitude has 360 degrees, divided into seconds and minutes. To the east of Greenwich is Eurasia, to the west are South and North America.

What are latitude and longitude used for?

Imagine that you are sailing on a ship lost in the middle of the ocean, or moving through an endless desert, where there are no signs or signs at all. How could you explain your location to rescuers? It is latitude and longitude that help to find a person or other object anywhere on the globe, no matter where it is.

Geographic coordinates are actively used on search engine maps, in navigation, and on regular geographic maps. They are present in surveying instruments, satellite positioning systems, GPS navigators and other tools needed to determine the location of a point.

How to set geographic coordinates on a map?

To calculate the coordinates of an object on the map, you must first determine in which hemisphere it is located. Next, you need to find out between which parallels the desired point is located and set the exact number of degrees - usually they are written on the sides of the geographical map. After this, you can proceed to determining longitude, first establishing in which hemisphere the object is located relative to Greenwich.


Determining degrees of longitude is similar to latitude. If you need to find out the location of a point in three-dimensional space, its height relative to sea level is additionally used.