GPS Distance Calculator

Haversine Formula:

\[ d = 2r \arcsin\left(\sqrt{\sin^2\left(\frac{\phi_2 - \phi_1}{2}\right) + \cos(\phi_1)\cos(\phi_2)\sin^2\left(\frac{\lambda_2 - \lambda_1}{2}\right)}\right) \]

Point 1 Latitude:

degrees

Point 1 Longitude:

degrees

Point 2 Latitude:

degrees

Point 2 Longitude:

degrees

Distance Between Points:

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1. What is the Haversine Formula?

The Haversine formula calculates the great-circle distance between two points on a sphere given their longitudes and latitudes. It's particularly important for navigation and geographical applications where precise distance measurements are needed.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the Haversine formula:

\[ d = 2r \arcsin\left(\sqrt{\sin^2\left(\frac{\phi_2 - \phi_1}{2}\right) + \cos(\phi_1)\cos(\phi_2)\sin^2\left(\frac{\lambda_2 - \lambda_1}{2}\right)}\right) \]

Where:

\( d \) — Distance between the two points
\( r \) — Radius of the Earth (6371 km)
\( \phi_1, \phi_2 \) — Latitude of point 1 and point 2 in radians
\( \lambda_1, \lambda_2 \) — Longitude of point 1 and point 2 in radians

Explanation: The formula accounts for the curvature of the Earth to provide accurate distance measurements between any two points on the globe.

3. Importance of Distance Calculation

Details: Accurate distance calculations between GPS coordinates are essential for navigation systems, geographical analysis, logistics planning, and many scientific applications.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter latitude and longitude for both points in decimal degrees format (e.g., 40.7128, -74.0060 for New York). Positive values are north/east, negative values are south/west.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How accurate is the Haversine formula?
A: The formula assumes a perfect sphere and provides accuracy within about 0.3% for most practical purposes on Earth.

Q2: What's the difference between Haversine and Vincenty formulas?
A: Vincenty's formulae account for Earth's ellipsoidal shape and are more accurate (to within 0.5mm), but more computationally intensive.

Q3: Can I use this for very short distances?
A: For distances under 1km, Euclidean distance in a local tangent plane may be simpler and sufficiently accurate.

Q4: What coordinate system should I use?
A: The calculator uses WGS84 coordinates (standard GPS coordinates) in decimal degrees format.

Q5: How can I convert DMS to decimal degrees?
A: Degrees + (Minutes/60) + (Seconds/3600). For West or South coordinates, make the result negative.