Latitude and Longitude Co-ordinate System

The Latitude and Longitude Co-ordinate System is a way to specify positions on the Earth’s surface.

Latitude

Latitude is the measure of angular distance north or south from the Equator.
It is measured in degrees, minutes, and seconds.
The Equator represents 0 degrees latitude.
Lines of latitude, also known as parallels, run east-west around the globe and are parallel to each other.
The North and South poles represent 90 degrees North and 90 degrees South latitude respectively.

Longitude is the measure of angular distance east or west from the Prime Meridian.
It is also measured in degrees, minutes, and seconds.
The Prime Meridian, which passes through Greenwich, England, represents 0 degrees longitude.
Lines of longitude, also known as meridians, run from the North Pole to the South Pole and converge at the poles.
The 180-degree line of longitude, on the opposite side of the planet to the Prime Meridian, is known as the International Date Line.

A location’s latitude and longitude values make up what’s known as its geographic coordinates.
These coordinates describe the position of a point on the Earth’s surface relative to the Equator and Prime Meridian.
For example, the coordinates for London are approximately 51.5 degrees North (latitude), 0.12 degrees West (longitude).

The system of latitude and longitude is crucial in astronomy for noting sky positions.
It allows us to map the sky and determine the altitude and azimuth of celestial bodies from different locations on Earth.