Development of latitudinal Measurements

How does one calculate longitude/latitude? In this article, we will learn to figure out the exact latitude, step by step. To locate yourself on a political map of the world, you must calculate your coordinates, often called longitude and latitude. The latitude indicates whether you are above or below the Equator. At regular intervals,  parallels are established around the Earth. The Northern Pole is measured as 90 degrees north latitude, and the Southern Pole is measured as 90 degrees south latitude. Read the article to know more about how to calculate the latitude using the sun, the north star and the political map of the world. 

How does one determine/measure latitude?

Latitude can be evaluated by comparing the location on Earth to the sun’s position. On a bright day in the northern/southern hemispheres, whenever the sun is easily visible, observations utilising the sun are possible. However, measuring latitude is more difficult than you might imagine. Only at midday, whenever the sun will be at its peak in the sky, can precise readings be made. To make matters even more complicated, the sun comes up higher in the summer than in the winter, which must be factored into any calculations.

The North Star is not quite as easily recognizable as the sun because it’s so far distant and merely one of a slew of visible stars to the human eye. It’s also only visible during nighttime, and that’s not always convenient. Its main drawback is that it cannot be seen from the southern hemisphere.

As a result, we’ll pretend we’re inside the northern hemisphere.  

Utilising either the sun / or the North Star, a simple quadrant could be used to calculate latitude. Both strategies are explained in the following subsections.

Measuring latitude using the sun

1. Draw a quadrant that looks like the one below. Pivoting the targeting beam around its central point allows it to swing up and down. The fulcrum, wherein the plumb line must be suspended, must be centred on the protractor.

Make a line just on the ground that travels north to south using only a compass. Make sure your quadrant’s aiming beam is aligned towards this north-south axis.

2. The sun should only be used to measure latitude at midday, whenever the sun is at its greatest position in the sky. Place sticks at the southernmost tip of your north-south line and tell them whenever it’s midday.  Make sure the stick is straight by using a plumb line. It’s midday when the stick’s shadow passes the north-south line.

3. The sighting nails must be aligned just on the quadrant’s focusing beam with the sun as soon as it hits noon. 

The beam is perfectly pointed at the sun whenever the shadows coincide. Calculate the lesser angle between both the beam as well as the plumb line with the protractor.

When utilising the sun or the North Star, this is the angle to measure. The horizon level is always 90 degrees from the plumb line. 

4. Regrettably, this estimate is only valid on March 21 and September 21. You should subtract 23.45 degrees from your reading in early winter and add 23.45 degrees in the summertime. This is due to the ‘slanted’ Earth orbiting around the sun.

The North Star is also used to calculate latitude.

It’s straightforward to calculate your latitude when you’ve spotted the North Star.

What is the best way to find the North Star?

1. First, look for the Ursa Major sometimes known as the Big Dipper.
2. Examine the ‘Plough blade’ from the back. The North Star is around four blade lengths away. 
3. Because the North Star is generally parallel to the Earth’s axis, it just never changes position, allowing observations to be conducted at any time of the night, regardless of the season.

Measuring latitude using the political map of the world

1. Locate the longitude & latitude in the political map of the world.   These measures are frequently found in the map’s corner. You can see how far the map goes beneath the headline.

1. Look for the spot. It may take a little time to locate your position depending on the extent of the political map of the world. Make a mental note of the town, town, or precise location on the atlas map that represents your current location. Mark your position once you’ve been discovered. 

1. Check the degrees with a map ruler and  Calculate the straightest numerical line of longitude or latitude from the current position outward on the map. The coordinates readings will be represented on the map by vertical and horizontal lines. They will be completely spelt out in the four corners of your map.

1. Take a look at the latitude first. Northern and southern parallels to the current location will be the lines of latitude. Place your map ruler’s zero ends on the southern latitude. By the 2.5minute mark, you should have reached the next latitude to the north. The minutes & seconds will be written on one side of the ruler, while the decimals minutes will be written on the other. Make careful to choose the border that matches your map’s coordinates format. Move the ruler towards the right – or west – until it lands on your spot. Make a note of how far the southern parallel is from the location. To find the latitude of the current location, multiply this by the latitude value of the southern parallel.

Conclusion

To conclude, by matching the location of The earth to the sun’s position, latitude can be calculated. At noon, whenever the sun will be at its highest point in the sky, the sun can only be used to estimate latitude. North star Is very far away and one of a myriad of stars visible to the human eye and isn’t as easily recognisable as the sun. Gaze at the Ursa Major, also called the Big Dipper, and then From the back, look at the ‘Plough blade’; the True North is about 4 blade paces away. Also, latitudes can be measured using the political map of the world.