Monday, October 17, 2005

Globe shape

What is the shape with Y-axis distance along circumference (equivalently latitude) and X-axis distance around at that latitude? Is it an equal area projection?

Answer: simple sinusoidal with a point at the poles. (It's ellipsoidal with axis ratio 2pi if Y-axis is through the core of the earth.) The point angle is the unusual expression 2*atan(pi) or 144.686 degrees.

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