Nautical mile A unit of measurement for distances at sea, which equals 1.15 miles on land. Longitude The distance (measured in angular degrees) from an imaginary line - called the prime meridian - that would run across Earth’s surface from the North Pole to the South Pole, along the way passing through Greenwich, England. Latitude The distance from the equator measured in degrees (up to 90). Low latitudes are closer to the equator high latitudes are closer to the poles. Each degree equals one three-hundred-and-sixtieth of the circumference of a circle.Įquator An imaginary line around Earth that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Equator and prime meridian full#
One nautical mile is 1/60th of a degree of longitude when measured at the equator.Ĭheck out the full list of Scientists Say.ĭegree (in geometry) A unit of measurement for angles. The rungs going across are latitude, because lat stays flat! Those rungs link the long(itude) pieces together. How can you remember the difference? Think of a ladder, leaning against Earth, balanced on the equator. Latitude and longitude both start with “L” and end with “-tude,” so they sound similar.
(This is why we say that the United States lives in the “Western Hemisphere.”) Measurements to the west of the Prime Meridian (toward Canada) measure from 0° to 180° W. Measurements to the east of the Prime Meridian (toward Russia) run from 0° to 180° E. This is an imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole through Greenwich, England. Longitude is measured from the Prime Meridian. This is how scientists, geographers and sailors measure the east-west position of a location. Winds can drive floating trash from lower latitudes toward the Arctic. One degree of latitude is about 111 kilometers (69 miles) in distance. If the point is between 0 and 90° S, it’s a measure of south latitude. Any point on the surface of the Earth between 0 and 90° N is a measure of north latitude. The North Pole sits at 90° N, and the South Pole at 90° S. The degrees increase as you move north or south from that line.
Equator and prime meridian series#
Lines of latitude form a series of horizontal stripes around the globe. Summer in the Arctic is from June to August, while summer in the Antarctic is from December to February.This is how scientists, sailors and others measure how far north or south they are from the equator. Again, the winter and summer seasons are switched. If you’re in an area with coordinates greater than 66.5 degrees latitude in either direction, you will experience 24-hour sunlight in the summer and 24-hour darkness in the winter.
The Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle are located at 66.5 degrees north and south respectively. Summer in the southern hemisphere is from December to February. Remember, seasons are opposite depending on which side of the equator you’re on. These areas will experience the same super-high sun as areas in the Tropic of Cancer, but their summer is in December. The Tropics of Capricorn range from the equator to 23.5 degrees south. In the summer, which is in June, locations in the Tropic of Cancer will see the sun at the highest possible point in the sky: straight up. The Tropics of Cancer span from the equator to 23.5 degrees north. The tropics are considered any area within 23.5 degrees of the equator. While the prime meridian is the only notable longitude line, there are a few important latitude lines besides the equator. Other Notable Guidelines Credit: seefromthesky/ Unsplash