Longitude in aircraft design, as well as in geography and navigation, is a measurement that specifies a location’s distance east or west of the Prime Meridian, expressed in degrees, minutes, and seconds or decimal degrees. It is one of the essential coordinates used to determine a specific point’s position on the Earth’s surface. Here’s a definition and explanation:
Formula: The formula to calculate longitude in decimal degrees from degrees, minutes, and seconds (DMS) is similar to the formula for latitude:
- Degrees represent the whole number of degrees.
- Minutes represent the whole number of minutes.
- Seconds represent the number of seconds.