How do I my latitude and longitude in correct format?

Posted on July 15th, 2010 by admin in minutes format | 3 Comments »

I need to find it in degrees/minutes/seconds format. Thanks.

Use Google Earth, just point your mouse over the location and it tells you the precise latitude and longitude. If you don’t already have Google Earth you can download it for free… http://earth.google.com/

Some examples…

Big Ben is at 51°30′03" N, 0°07′28" W

The Statue of Liberty is at 40°41′21" W, 74°02′40" N

The Sydney Opera House is at 33°51′24" S, 141°12′55" E

The correct format for writing it is to state the number of degrees without leading zeros but to include leading zeros when stating the minutes and seconds. Hence Big Ben is at 0°07′28" W and not 0°7′28" W or 000°07′28" W.

It’s important to include the W or E in respect of the longitude and the N or S in respect of latitude. Without these then there are 4 possible locations. For Example, 40° 75° could be 40°N, 75°W (New York area), 40°S, 75°W (Off the coast of Chile), 40°N, 75°E (Kyrgystan), or 40°S, 75°E (In the middle of the Pacific).

In respect of latitude the equator is 0, in respect of longitude the Greenwich Meridian is 0 – the precise line running through the centre of the Greenwich Observatory in London.

Depending on the level of accuracy you want to work to you can state just the degrees, or the degrees and minutes or the degrees minutes and seconds. If you want to use very precise locations then the minutes can be decimalised e.g. 0°07′28.84" W – this would pinpoint a location anywhere on the earth’s surface to within 6 inches.

3 Responses

  1. mt92501 Says:

    Hope this helps.
    http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/Slatlong.htm
    References :

  2. Trevor Says:

    Use Google Earth, just point your mouse over the location and it tells you the precise latitude and longitude. If you don’t already have Google Earth you can download it for free… http://earth.google.com/

    Some examples…

    Big Ben is at 51°30′03" N, 0°07′28" W

    The Statue of Liberty is at 40°41′21" W, 74°02′40" N

    The Sydney Opera House is at 33°51′24" S, 141°12′55" E

    The correct format for writing it is to state the number of degrees without leading zeros but to include leading zeros when stating the minutes and seconds. Hence Big Ben is at 0°07′28" W and not 0°7′28" W or 000°07′28" W.

    It’s important to include the W or E in respect of the longitude and the N or S in respect of latitude. Without these then there are 4 possible locations. For Example, 40° 75° could be 40°N, 75°W (New York area), 40°S, 75°W (Off the coast of Chile), 40°N, 75°E (Kyrgystan), or 40°S, 75°E (In the middle of the Pacific).

    In respect of latitude the equator is 0, in respect of longitude the Greenwich Meridian is 0 – the precise line running through the centre of the Greenwich Observatory in London.

    Depending on the level of accuracy you want to work to you can state just the degrees, or the degrees and minutes or the degrees minutes and seconds. If you want to use very precise locations then the minutes can be decimalised e.g. 0°07′28.84" W – this would pinpoint a location anywhere on the earth’s surface to within 6 inches.
    References :

  3. R G Says:

    Go to Google Earth
    References :

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