Prime meridian
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Prime Meridian
The Prime Meridian (pronunciation: /praɪm ˈmɛrɪdiən/) is the meridian (a line of longitude) in a geographical coordinate system at which longitude is defined to be 0°.
Etymology
The term "Prime Meridian" comes from the Latin words 'primus' meaning "first" and 'meridianus' meaning "of the midday". This term was first used in the 16th century to refer to the meridian on which local time is set to noon.
Definition
The Prime Meridian runs from the North Pole to the South Pole, passing through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, United Kingdom, which was established as the zero longitude by an international agreement known as the International Meridian Conference in 1884.
Related Terms
- Longitude: The angular distance of a place east or west of the Prime Meridian, or west of a standard meridian.
- Latitude: The angular distance of a place north or south of the earth's equator, or of a celestial object north or south of the celestial equator.
- Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): The mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, counted from midnight, which was once the international standard of civil timekeeping.
- International Date Line: An imaginary line of longitude on the Earth's surface located at about 180 degrees east (or west) of the Prime Meridian.
See Also
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