PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Length of a nautical mile and compass swirl
Old 1st February 2002 | 18:14
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RVR800
 
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: UK
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OATS GNAV 061 page 1-20:

The length of a nautical mile is longest at the poles, and shortest at equator, because the Earth being oblate spheroid. I just can't see why it isn't OPPOSITE ! Someone please enligthen me. I figure that the same angle from the center of the Earth to either the pole or the equator must mean that the distance covered should be related to the radius of the earth. Since the equator is further away than the pole, why isn't the nautical mile then LONGER at EQUATOR ?

A nautical mile is one minute of one degree of a great circle. In an oblate spheroid aren't the poles flattened with the radius distance less . .important?

Polar_stereographic your good on these projections arent you!
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