Longitude
Longitude
Longitude (/ˈlɒndʒɪtjuːd/, from Latin longitudo, distance), in geography, is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east–west position of a point on the Earth's surface, or the surface of a celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek letter lambda (λ). Meridians (lines running from the North Pole to the South Pole) connect points with the same longitude. The prime meridian, which is 0° longitude, passes through the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, England.
Etymology
The term longitude is derived from Latin longitudo, which means "length". It was first used in English in the late 14th century.
Related Terms
- Latitude: Latitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the north–south position of a point on the Earth's surface. Latitude and longitude together can specify the precise location of any point on Earth.
- Prime Meridian: The Prime Meridian is the meridian (line of longitude) in a geographic coordinate system at which longitude is defined to be 0°.
- Geographic coordinate system: A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position and two or three of the numbers represent a horizontal position; alternatively, a geographic position may be expressed in a combined three-dimensional Cartesian vector.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Longitude
- Wikipedia's article - Longitude
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