Location

How do we find the location of our home or school? You are right;—we use addresses! But how would you find the location of a mountain, an island, or a ship sailing through a big ocean?

Scientists use a geographic coordinate system, which works like a grid. This system uses two numbers—latitude and longitude—to pinpoint any spot on the planet.

Latitude lines run horizontally around Earth, like rings on a globe. The equator is a central line that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

The equator is 0°, and the poles are 90° latitude. They show how far north or south a location is.

Longitude lines run vertically from pole to pole, like the sections of an orange. The Prime Meridian, at 0° longitude, divides Earth into the Eastern and Western hemispheres. Longitude measures how far east or west a place is from the prime meridian.

Today, we use the Global Positioning System - GPS to find locations easily. A GPS receiver connects with satellites to calculate the exact position, whether it’s a famous landmark or your home!