Latitude and Latitude and LongitudeLongitude

Finding Your Finding Your Location on Location on

EarthEarth

Pinpointing Locations Pinpointing Locations On EarthOn Earth

• In order to find exact locations on Earth a system of grid lines is used. (Similar to graph paper).

•Lines of latitude run east/westlatitude run east/west around the earth, parallel to the equator.

•Lines of longitude run longitude run north/southnorth/south through the poles of the earth.

LatitudeLatitude• The latitudelatitude lines are east/west lines

based on the geometry of the earth using the axis of the earth and the equator. – Latitude range is 0Latitude range is 000 to 90 to 9000.

• The equator is 0equator is 000 latitude latitude, (this is the longest distance around the earth traveling on the same latitude line).

• The North Pole is 90North Pole is 9000 North latitude North latitude.• The South Pole is 90South Pole is 9000 South latitude South latitude.• Your latitude is the angle created using

the axis (center of the earth), the equator and your location.

Latitude Lines

Important Lines of LatitudeImportant Lines of Latitude• There are several basic reference lines of latitude on

the earth that everyone should be familiar with. These are:– The Equator (0O latitude) – which divides the earth into

the north and south hemispheres– The Tropic of Cancer (23.5O North) – which marks the

northern end of the tropics, the highest point the sun is directly overhead during the year.

– The Tropic of Capricorn (23.5O South) - which marks the southern end of the tropics, the lowest point the sun is directly overhead during the year.

– The Arctic Circle (66.5O North) – which marks the northern polar region of the earth that spends part of the year without sun

– The Antarctic Circle (66.5O South) – which marks the southern polar region of the earth that spends part of the year without sun.

LongitudeLongitude• The longitudelongitude lines are north/south lines,

based on time (the revolution of the earth), using the Prime Meridian and the North and South Poles. Longitude range is 0Longitude range is 000 to to 18018000.

• LongitudeLongitude lines are all the same length as each one connects the North and South Poles and splits the earth into equal halves – this is why they are often referred to as meridians.

• The Prime MeridianPrime Meridian is 0is 000 longitude longitude..• The Prime MeridianPrime Meridian passes through

Greenwich, England which is the time keeping capital of the world.

• Your longitude is your time (of the Earth’s rotation) away from the Prime Meridian.

Earth’s Lines of Earth’s Lines of LongitudeLongitude