Distance Calculator Walking Australia

Haversine Formula:

\[ Distance = 2R \times \arcsin\left(\sqrt{\sin^2\left(\frac{\Delta\phi}{2}\right) + \cos(\phi_1)\cos(\phi_2)\sin^2\left(\frac{\Delta\lambda}{2}\right)}\right) \]

Latitude Point 1:

degrees

Longitude Point 1:

degrees

Latitude Point 2:

degrees

Longitude Point 2:

degrees

Distance:

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1. What is the Haversine 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 locations on Earth, accounting for the planet's curvature.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Haversine formula:

\[ Distance = 2R \times \arcsin\left(\sqrt{\sin^2\left(\frac{\Delta\phi}{2}\right) + \cos(\phi_1)\cos(\phi_2)\sin^2\left(\frac{\Delta\lambda}{2}\right)}\right) \]

Where:

\( R \) — Earth's radius (6371 km)
\( \phi_1, \phi_2 \) — Latitude of point 1 and point 2 in radians
\( \lambda_1, \lambda_2 \) — Longitude of point 1 and point 2 in radians
\( \Delta\phi \) — Difference between latitudes
\( \Delta\lambda \) — Difference between longitudes

Explanation: The formula calculates the shortest distance between two points on the surface of a sphere, which is particularly useful for walking distances in Australia where straight-line distances can be misleading due to the Earth's curvature.

3. Importance of Distance Calculation

Details: Accurate distance calculation is crucial for route planning, hiking, urban navigation, and understanding the actual travel distance between locations in Australia's vast landscape.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter coordinates in decimal degrees format. Latitude ranges from -90 to 90, longitude from -180 to 180. For Australian locations, latitude is typically negative (southern hemisphere).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How accurate is the Haversine formula?
A: The formula provides good accuracy for most purposes, typically within 0.5% of the actual distance, which is sufficient for walking distance estimations.

Q2: Does this calculate walking distance or straight-line distance?
A: This calculates the great-circle (straight-line) distance. Actual walking distance may be longer due to terrain, paths, and obstacles.

Q3: What coordinate format should I use?
A: Use decimal degrees format (e.g., -33.8688, 151.2093 for Sydney). You can convert from degrees/minutes/seconds if needed.

Q4: Why is this specifically for Australia?
A: While the formula works globally, it's particularly useful for Australia due to the country's large size where Earth's curvature significantly affects distance calculations.

Q5: Can I use this for driving distances?
A: This calculates straight-line distance. For driving distances, you would need route-specific calculations that account for roads and pathways.