[Flying_Tom]

Hi,
I have a question about a distance calculation between 2 points.
Point A: 15N 030E
Point B: 080S 050W

I know you need the Pythagorean theorem, however I can't find it.
Who can help me with the calculation and how to solve it?

Tx

[GolfHotel]

pack your thermals, even in summer 80S is pretty damm cool.

BTW you need to calculate the great circle route. (if that helps) Old mr Pythagoras won't help much, he lived on a flat earth.

EDIT to add: its about11,443.45Km BTW. I worked that out on my wizz wheel.

[Flying_Tom]

indeed, it is just a theoretical question, however hard to find!
So any help is welcome

[Morten]

Hi Tom,

for a distance like that (15N 030E to 080S 050W), Pythagoras will let you down quite badly since the earth is not flat.
What you will need is a great circle distance calculator - e.g. one of these

For relatively small distances around Europe, assuming for simplicity that you are around 60°N, you can get some very gross estimates by assuming that 1min of easterlies = 0.5nm, and 1min northerlies is 1nm.
E.g. flying from Greenwich (51.5°N, 0°W) to Manchester (53.5° N, 2.25°W) gives a triangle of 2°N (i.e. 120nm) and 2.25°W (i.e. 72.5nm) for a diagonal of sqrt(120^2+72.5^2)=140.2 nm.

Since we are a bit south of 60°N, since the earth is not flat and since even at 60°N, 1°W is not 1nm... this is still out by a bit - the real answer would be 145.7nm

Morten