0
Why is it shorter to travel a great circle? As you will see, the great circle route is the closest you can get to a 'straight line' route on the globe. What looks to you like a 'straight line' route on a map really is not straight at all. Depending on how far apart two places are, the straight line between them will pass through some part of the Earth, and with the exception of relatively short tunnels will be completely impossible to travel. All flat maps are seriously distorted in some ways; you cannot project the surface of a globe onto a flat surface without compromising some detail. What looks like a straight route across your Mercator Projection will usually be longer than necessary, but see discussion. Countless great circle routes will look like straight lines, even on Mercator Projections. Putting the following ideas together will clarify what makes the great circle route the shortest possible surface or air route between two points on earth.
- Every great circle cuts a globe, or a spheroidal planet like earth, into two equal halves, just as the equator does.
- If you imagine any plane cutting right through and containing the center of the earth, then where the plane comes out to the surface will be a great circle.
- The equator is a great circle, as are all of the lines of longitude (including the extensions of those lines on the other side of the poles, exactly 180 degrees of longitude over).
- The number of possible great circles on the earth is limitless.
If you are standing on flat ground, on a circle you have drawn out that is about 5 feet in diameter, you can clearly see that your small portion of the circle is curved. The point under your left foot and the point under your right foot are connected by a curved arc of the circle. As you imagine the circle getting larger and larger, you can imagine the curve between your feet straightening out. The circle can't get any larger than a great circle, the circle that cuts the earth into two equal halves. This is why a great circle describes the shortest land route between two points on earth. This isn't noticeable in the distance between your feet, but with distances of hundreds or thousands of miles it becomes more and more important.
Any two points on earth's surface can be connected by the circumference of a great circle. This is easily demonstrated with a globe and a length of strong thread or a very thin cord. Connect any two cities with ends of the cord and you can take up slack until the cord is resting on the shortest surface path between them, the great circle.Check links.
If the two points are exactly opposite each other on the globe (they are called antipodes) like the north and south poles, than infinitely many great circle routes connect them.
What else can I help you with?
Compare a straight route with a great circle route?
A straight route is the path taken in a straight line while the shortest distance between two points on a circle is known as the great circle route. However, while travelling the great circle around the globe, the path ahead will look like the straight route.
How much shorter is the great circle route then the straight route?
The great circle route is the shortest route.It is just that if you plot a great circle path on a flat map (unless it is the equator or a line of longitude) it will look bent - this is an artifact of map projection.The actual difference in route lengths depends on the routes you are comparing.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The great circle route is the shortest route between two locations on a "roughly" spherical object like the earth. It is in effect the straight line between two locations along the surface of a sphere.By the straight route - I assume you mean a straight line on a 2D map. This usually does not coincide with the great circle route. The difference in length between a so-called straight route and a great circle route would then vary based on both the map projection selected and the location of the two endpoints of the journey.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------The SHORTEST line between two points on a sphere IS a GREAT CIRCLE.Also, by definition, the shortest line between two points IS the straight route.
What is the shortest distance between 2 places on the globe?
a straight line ^Wrong. A straight line is NOT the shortest distance between two places when you're on a globe. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_circle This is mathematically proven using calculus. Another way to prove this is to take a globe, and get some string. Pick two points, and make a straight line with the string to measure the distance. Cut off the extra string so you are using the exact amount needed for a straight line. Now, use the great circle, and you will be able to reach the same point, and have extra string left over, proving that the great circle is shorter than the straight line.
How many miles shorter is the great circle route between Tokyo Japan and Memphis Tennessee than the east-west distance along a parallel?
The great circle route between Tokyo, Japan, and Memphis, Tennessee, is significantly shorter than the east-west distance along a parallel. Specifically, the great circle distance is approximately 6,800 miles, while the east-west distance along the 35th parallel is about 7,300 miles. This means the great circle route is roughly 500 miles shorter than the parallel distance.
Mercator projection maps are used to determine great-circle routes?
No. A straight line on a mercator map is a path of constant bearing, but this will not generally be a great-circle route.
Why is a great-circle route often used in navigation?
Since the earth is a globe, some air routes are shorter when the flight goes over the Arctic. Those flights take a part of the "great circle" and shave off hours of distance. In fact great circle routes are applicable anywhere on the globe because they are the shortest routes between any two points.
Where can one book a grand circle cruise?
Grand Circle travel allows users to book a Grand Circle cruise online. The website is very user friendly. Users can book travel destinations along the great seas of Europe.
A line in riemann's sperical geometry is called a?
A line in Riemann's spherical geometry is called a great circle, which is the intersection of a sphere with a plane passing through its center. Great circles are the equivalent of straight lines in this non-Euclidean geometry.
Which projection is the great circle chart?
The great circle chart is a type of navigational projection known as an orthographic projection. It displays the Earth's surface as if projected onto a flat plane from an infinite distance, resulting in great circles appearing as straight lines. This projection is useful for plotting and navigating along the shortest route between two points on the Earth's surface.
What is distance between Hong Kong and Tacoma Washington?
The distance between Hong Kong and Tacoma, Washington, is approximately 5,100 miles (about 8,200 kilometers) when measured in a straight line (great-circle distance). However, actual travel distance may vary depending on flight paths or travel routes taken.
Are latitude or longitude called great circles?
Only one line of latitude is a great circle ... the equator. Meridians of longitude are semi-great-circle, but we hardly ever use that term for longitude lines. "Great Circle" is a misnomer. It is actually the shortest straight line between two points on the surface of the spherical Earth. However, when plotted on a flat paper map (which is subject to considerable distortion) the path looks curved. But it's the MAP that is distorted; the path is straight.
Why is a great circle route often navigation?
Since the earth is a globe, some air routes are shorter when the flight goes over the Arctic. Those flights take a part of the "great circle" and shave off hours of distance. In fact great circle routes are applicable anywhere on the globe because they are the shortest routes between any two points.
