The coordinates and location of any object on the globe can be determined by knowing the latitude and longitude of the point. Let's find out the subtleties of the meaning of each of them.
How to determine the coordinates
Any modern geographical map makes it possible to find the coordinates of any city, mountain or lake. You need to know the latitude and longitude.
From the first, everything is clear: it is determined relative to the equator - an imaginary line that runs in the place where the plane perpendicular to the Earth's axis intersects the center of our planet. It is the start of the countdown, a kind of "zero" for finding the value of the latitude, the location of the parallels. The equator passes through several countries - Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia in Africa, Indonesia, located on the Sunda Islands, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia in South America. The equator gives a clear indication of latitude.
Another thing is longitude. For a long time there was no consensus on what to take as the basis for counting this coordinate. Longitude is the determination of the position of a point on the surface of the Earth relative to the zero reference point, from which the meridians depart. These are also imaginary lines,which make it easier to work with maps. The angle between each of them and the origin is the longitude. The zero meridian is the basis for the reference of this coordinate.
The problem of determining longitude
If everything is clear with the equator, then what the "zero meridian" is, it did not immediately become clear. For many years, different countries used their own "zero". Of course, this created confusion.
Every country that respects science in the 19th century already acquired an observatory for observing heavenly bodies. She was the reference point of longitude. Russia, USA, Great Britain and France had their own initial meridian positions.
Longitude is very important in marine navigation. And long before the formation of clear scientific reference systems, there were other methods that made it possible not to get lost in the sea. The first option was proposed by Johann Werner. The point is to observe the moon. Another way belongs to the genius Galileo Galilei. With the help of a telescope, he observed the position of the satellites of Jupiter. The disadvantage of this method is the need for complex devices.
A simpler method - determination using the difference between local and exact time at the reference point - belongs to the authorship of Frisius Gemme. But not everyone had such an accurate watch either.
Zero Meridian has become a kind of Grail - for the exact determination of longitude in Britain, they even offered a huge bonus. Then the problem was in the invention of accurate clocks. What is the zero meridian, then they did not know for sure.
The clock was invented after all. The prize for them was John Harrison. But in navigation they continued to useold methods. The turning point was the invention of radio. Modern sailors use satellite data to determine longitude.
Reference points
As already mentioned, every country that had an observatory made it the origin of longitude. The meridian of the same name passes through the Paris Observatory. It was popular in the 19th century.
In Russia, the zero meridian was called Pulkovsky. It received its name from an observatory located near St. Petersburg. Used mainly in Russia. This "zero" meridian passes through Mogilev, Kyiv region, Lake Tanganyika in Africa, the pyramids of Egypt. Not currently used.
The Ferro meridian passing through the Canary island of the same name was popular. First used by Ptolemy.
Greenwich meridian has been used in England since the 19th century. It was fixed as a "zero" for counting longitude in the modern world.
The Greenwich Prime Meridian is an imaginary line running through London. With Pulkovsky he has a difference of 30 degrees, with Paris - 2.
Meridial Conference
In 1884, eminent geographers and politicians gathered in Washington to discuss the issue of settling the coordinate reference system. The International Meridian Conference brought together representatives from Russia, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Great Britain, France, Denmark, Chile, Venezuela, Japan, Switzerland, the Ottoman Empire and many other countries. A total of 41 representatives attended.
Besides determining the longitude, the participants were interested in the development of a time calculation system. What is the problem? And the fact that until the 19th century there was no single unified time. All used local units. This caused confusion. The lack of standards hindered trade between countries with different levels of scientific and cultural development. There were also problems with transport.
Where the longitude should start
Of all the already existing starting points, one had to be chosen. The decision was taken by open vote, in which all delegates present participated.
The conference decided which object should be the origin of the longitude. The zero meridian, according to the proposals of the delegates, could pass through Paris, the Azores or the Canary Islands, the Bering Strait, Greenwich. The islands immediately lost in votes - there was no proper level of scientific support. Paris didn't get votes either. Ferro, though popular, was also rejected. The prime meridian of London was the winner, only France objected.
A little about time
The first person to talk about the need to unify time standards was Mr. Sandford Fleming, a simple Canadian engineer. One day, due to time confusion, he missed the train and missed an important meeting. Thus, from 1876, Fleming sought reform.
The issue was decided at the above-mentioned conference in Washington. A system of time zones was formed, which is still used today. Innovations adoptedNot all. For example, Russia joined the standard only in 1919. Germany, France and Austria-Hungary also joined later.
The zero meridian is the starting point. This imaginary line runs through oceans, seas, and land. Meridians serve as the boundaries of 24 belts. However, not everyone follows this division so far. The reason for this is the size of the countries. The most accurate clock in the world is also located in Greenwich. By the way, the GPS system shows the origin of longitude not at the observatory, but 100 meters away from it.
Greenwich Observatory
Centre for Astronomical Research in the UK and the origin of longitude is the Greenwich Observatory. This place has a rich history. It was founded in the 17th century by the efforts of King Charles II. During its existence, the observatory changed its location. The very idea of creating such an institution did not belong to the king, but to the statesman Jonas Moore. He convinced the king of the importance of the observatory, and offered to make John Flamsteed the chief astronomer. Soon the building was designed and built, the lion's share of funding was on the shoulders of Moore.
The exact clock and standard of time have been set here. As you know, the origin of longitude passes through the observatory. At the local level, the Greenwich meridian began to be used as early as 1851, and was approved at the famous conference of 1884.
Observatory once tried to blow up! At the time of 1894, this was unique, the first case in the history of Britain.
OnAt present, the observatory continues to function. Various instruments for research in the field of astronomy are located here. In fact, this is a museum, which contains many valuable exhibits. They reflect the history of science and technology, especially in the field of time measurements. Reconstruction was recently carried out, a planetarium and galleries were created.
Conclusion
Zero meridian is the reference point of longitude and time. But the term can be used in other areas as well. So, in 2006, the Zero Meridian group became popular in Russia. "Not My Words" is the band's most famous song.
Longitude has been counted from Greenwich for many years. Lines depart from the zero meridian, along which coordinates are determined in all parts of the world. It divides the globe into eastern and western hemispheres. The zero meridian passes through Algeria, Ghana, Mali, Spain, Great Britain, France. Thus, these countries are located in both hemispheres at the same time.
