What is the distance, measured along a great circle, between locations at #(34^o N, 34^o W) and (34^ S, 34^o E)#?
1 Answer
Explanation:
South latitudes and West longitudes are negatives.
In spherical-polar coordinates, the position vectors to the
locations
of the Earth are
For unit vectors #n_(OP) and n_(OQ), omit the factor 6371 km (mean
radius of the Earth ). in these normal directions
The angle subtended by the great-circle arc PQ at the center is
The great-circle arc distance PQ = 6371 X alpha in radians#