What are geocentric coordinates?

What are geocentric coordinates?

Description. The geocentric coordinate system is not a planar coordinate system based on a map projection. It is a geographic coordinate system in which the earth is modeled as a sphere or spheroid in a right-handed XYZ (3D Cartesian) system measured from the center of the earth.

What is the meaning of equatorial coordinate system?

[ ē′kwə-tôr′ē-əl, ĕk′wə- ] The coordinate system in which a celestial object’s position on the celestial sphere is described in terms of its declination and right ascension, measured with respect to the celestial equator.

What are equatorial coordinates based on?

Equatorial system The coordinates are based on the location of stars relative to Earth’s equator if it were projected out to an infinite distance. The equatorial describes the sky as seen from the Solar System, and modern star maps almost exclusively use equatorial coordinates.

What are the horizontal and equatorial coordinate systems?

While the Equatorial Coordinate System is in the frame of the stars (the sidereal frame), the Horizontal System uses the observer’s location on Earth to define the coordinate system. For the equivalent of longitude, the Horizontal System uses azimuth.

What is the difference between geodetic and geocentric latitude?

Geodetic latitude is defined as the angle between the equatorial plane and the surface normal at a point on the ellipsoid, whereas geocentric latitude is defined as the angle between the equatorial plane and a radial line connecting the centre of the ellipsoid to a point on the surface (see figure).

How do you find the geocentric latitude?

Given geocentric latitude (λ) and the radius (r) from the center of the planet, this block first converts the desired points into the distance from the polar axis (ρ) and the distance from the equatorial axis (z). ρ = r ( cos ( λ ) ) z = r ( sin ( λ ) ) .

What is the difference between zenith and nadir?

nadir, a term used in astronomy for the point in the heavens exactly opposite to the zenith, the zenith and nadir being the two poles of the horizon. That is, the zenith is directly overhead, the nadir directly underfoot.

What is azimuthal grid?

The angle at a given point in the plane of a rectangular coordinate system between the central meridian, or a line parallel to it, and a straight line to the azimuth point.

What are the two equator system coordinates?

The equatorial coordinate system is the most commonly used. The equatorial system defines two coordinates: right ascension and declination, based on the axis of the Earth’s rotation.

What is the difference between the horizontal coordinates and the equatorial coordinates Why do we have two coordinate systems?

Unlike the horizontal coordinate system, equatorial coordinates are independent of the observer’s location and the time of the observation. This means that only one set of coordinates is required for each object, and that these same coordinates can be used by observers in different locations and at different times.

What is a geodetic latitude?

Geodetic latitude. The geodetic latitude of a point is the angle between the equatorial plane and the perpendicular line that intersects the normal line at the point on the surface of the Earth.