Coordinates

[+Onslow Fisherman]

Can anyone tell me if 180deg is East or West? Edited October 8, 2005 by Onslow Fisherman

[+Corp Of Discovery]

Yes.

[tossedsalad]

Why does it matter? 180 E is the same as 180 W.

 

To ask it another way, is 90 degrees east or west? It is both, but they are different places. 180 E and 180 W are both valid descriptions of the same place.

[+Corp Of Discovery]

For a real answer: it depends on which way you are going, or which hemisphere you are in. If you are going at it and it's to your west (or you are in the western hemisphere), its 180w, if it is to your east , (or you are in the eastern hemisphere) its 180e. Hope that helps.

[+Muddler]

I may be missing something in the question, but I always thought that 180 degrees was south! Generally speaking if 0 or 360 degrees is north on a compass, then 180 is south. Now if the OP is asking what is 180 degrees from east it would be west.

 

Maybe the OP could explain a little more as to what the 180 is referenced to, a compass or a arbitrary direction.

[+Corp Of Discovery]

I may be missing something in the question, but I always thought that 180 degrees was south! Generally speaking if 0 or 360 degrees is north on a compass, then 180 is south.  Now if the OP is asking what is 180 degrees from east it would be west. 

 

Maybe the OP could explain a little more as to what the 180 is referenced to, a compass  or a arbitrary direction.

I believe they are asking about longitude (latitudes only go to 90). Also, upon doing some searching, 0 and 180 do not need to be labled E or W as there is only 1 of each and labeling them E or W would b a bit redundant.

Edited October 8, 2005 by Corp Of Discovery

[+Alan2]

I think he is refering to when you create a waypoint, what do you enter? tossedsald is correct that a point let's say N25 53.679 W180 00.000 is in the same location as N25 53.679 E180 00.000. However, when I try to create the latter E180 00.000 point in Garmin Mapsource, the program changed the E to a W when I clicked OK so that the former W180 00.000 shows in the program after created. The most East I can create is E179 59.999

 

Interestingly, my Vista will not allow me to enter an 8 in the tens position so that the most I can set by hand is W179.59.999 or E179.59.999. However, I can transfer a W180 00.000 point from my Mapsourse program. There's is no way to type to change the W to and E or E to W in the GPS. You have to be in that part of the globe when you create a waypoint.

 

I wonder what Magellan and others do with their programs and GPS's?

Edited October 8, 2005 by Alan2

[+Zekester & Simon]

Curious. I had great fun in Greenwich at the 000 meridian jumping back and forth across it from hemisphere to hemisphere. Many videocamera carrying tourists found us to be most entertaining! I also found it interesting that the meridian had width! What if you were in the middle of it??? Fortunately, that brass line is embedded in the ground so you can't really trip over it and accidentally fall into the other hemisphere; you have to make a conscious decision to cross over.

 

It is always fun to play with our constructions that help us model the real world. Many of my friends have travelled backward and forward in time, depending on which way they circled the North Pole.

 

This question also reminds me of cache clues that tell tou to look left or right from a particular location. Don't forget you need a point of reference!

 

Zekester

[+TeamAO]

Why does it matter? 180 E is the same as 180 W.

 

To ask it another way, is 90 degrees east or west? It is both, but they are different places. 180 E and 180 W are both valid descriptions of the same place.

I think he just wanted to know one of those useless facts, that's neat to know, but you'd never use it in real life.

[+Onslow Fisherman]

Why does it matter?  180 E is the same as 180 W. 

 

To ask it another way, is 90 degrees east or west?  It is both, but they are different places.  180 E and 180 W are both valid descriptions of the same place.

I think he just wanted to know one of those useless facts, that's neat to know, but you'd never use it in real life.

Yup, it was just a curiosity. Thanks for the interest the question generated and also the interesting replies.

OF