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One degree of longitude equals four minutes of time the world over, although in terms of distance, one degree shrinks from 60.15 nautical miles or 111 km [Earth's circumference being 21,653.521 nautical miles, or 24,901.55 statute miles at the Equator], to virtually nothing at the poles.
All parallel lines on maps of the Earth are lines of latitude, measured in degrees north or south of the Equator. Lines of longitude run north and south through the poles, and knowing which line a ship is on will tell sailors how far from home they are.
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time. Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2005. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapter 1 Summary: “Imaginary Lines” As a child, the author was fascinated by the horizontal lines of latitude and the vertical lines of longitude that overlie the Earth on maps. In 150 CE, Ptolemy placed the Equator at zero degrees latitude so that it girdles the planet around its waist; he put the prime meridian of longitude at the Canary ...
Detailed notes, summary, and learnings from Range by David Epstein. A great book on the benefits of wide expertise vs. specialization.
Latitude is easy to measure, as its zero-degree position, which is the equator, is defined by natural laws. Experienced sailors are able to accurately determine their latitude based on the length of day, the height from the horizon of the sun or common stars, such as Polaris. The zero degree of longitude, which is the prime meridian of
But the real difference, as the she notes, is that the zero-degree parallel of latitude is fixed by nature and is the equator, while the zero-degree meridian of longitude is simply wherever...
