Lat/Long Calculator

Haversine Formula:

\[ d = 2 \times R \times \arcsin\left(\sqrt{\sin^2\left(\frac{\Delta lat}{2}\right) + \cos(lat1) \times \cos(lat2) \times \sin^2\left(\frac{\Delta lon}{2}\right)}\right) \]

Latitude 1:

degrees

Longitude 1:

degrees

Latitude 2:

degrees

Longitude 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 geographic coordinates on Earth.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Haversine formula:

\[ d = 2 \times R \times \arcsin\left(\sqrt{\sin^2\left(\frac{\Delta lat}{2}\right) + \cos(lat1) \times \cos(lat2) \times \sin^2\left(\frac{\Delta lon}{2}\right)}\right) \]

Where:

\( d \) — Distance in kilometers
\( R \) — Earth's radius (6371 km)
\( lat1, lon1 \) — Latitude and longitude of first point (radians)
\( lat2, lon2 \) — Latitude and longitude of second point (radians)
\( \Delta lat \) — Difference in latitude
\( \Delta lon \) — Difference in longitude

Explanation: The formula accounts for the spherical shape of the Earth to provide accurate distance calculations between any two points on the globe.

3. Importance of Distance Calculation

Details: Accurate distance calculation between geographic coordinates is essential for navigation, mapping, logistics, travel planning, and various geospatial applications.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter latitude and longitude coordinates in decimal degrees format. Valid ranges: latitude -90 to 90, longitude -180 to 180. The calculator automatically converts degrees to radians for calculation.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How accurate is the Haversine formula?
A: The Haversine formula provides very accurate results for most practical purposes, with errors typically less than 0.5% for distances up to 20,000 km.

Q2: What coordinate format should I use?
A: Use decimal degrees format (e.g., 40.7128° N, 74.0060° W). The calculator automatically handles the conversion to radians.

Q3: Can I use this for very short distances?
A: Yes, but for very short distances (less than 1 km), the flat Earth approximation might be sufficient and faster to calculate.

Q4: Does this account for elevation differences?
A: No, the Haversine formula calculates great-circle distance on a sphere and does not account for elevation differences between points.

Q5: What's the maximum distance this can calculate?
A: The formula works for any distance on Earth's surface, up to the maximum possible distance between two points (approximately 20,000 km).