Distance Calculator Longitude Latitude

Haversine Distance Formula:

\[ Distance = 6371 \times \arccos(\sin(lat1) \times \sin(lat2) + \cos(lat1) \times \cos(lat2) \times \cos(\Delta lon)) \]

Latitude 1:

degrees

Longitude 1:

degrees

Latitude 2:

degrees

Longitude 2:

degrees

Distance:

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1. What is the Haversine Distance Formula?

The Haversine formula calculates the great-circle distance between two points on a sphere given their longitudes and latitudes. It's particularly useful for calculating distances between geographic coordinates on Earth.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Haversine distance formula:

\[ Distance = 6371 \times \arccos(\sin(lat1) \times \sin(lat2) + \cos(lat1) \times \cos(lat2) \times \cos(\Delta lon)) \]

Where:

\( lat1, lat2 \) — Latitude coordinates in radians
\( \Delta lon \) — Difference in longitude in radians
\( 6371 \) — Earth's radius in kilometers
All trigonometric functions use radians

Explanation: The formula accounts for the spherical shape of Earth and provides accurate distance calculations between any two points on the globe.

3. Importance of Distance Calculation

Details: Accurate distance calculation between geographic coordinates is essential for navigation systems, logistics planning, geographic information systems (GIS), and various location-based services.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter latitude and longitude coordinates in decimal degrees. Valid ranges: latitude -90 to 90, longitude -180 to 180. The calculator automatically converts degrees to radians for calculation.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How accurate is the Haversine formula?
A: The Haversine formula is very accurate for most practical purposes, typically within 0.5% of the actual great-circle distance.

Q2: What coordinate format should I use?
A: Use decimal degrees format (e.g., 40.7128, -74.0060 for New York). The calculator automatically handles conversion to radians.

Q3: Can I use this for very short distances?
A: Yes, but for very short distances (less than 1 km), planar distance formulas might be more appropriate and computationally efficient.

Q4: Does this account for elevation differences?
A: No, the Haversine formula calculates great-circle distance on a sphere and does not account for elevation differences or terrain.

Q5: What is the Earth radius value used?
A: We use 6371 km, which is the mean radius of Earth. For more precise calculations, you might use 6378.137 km (equatorial radius).