What are the Earth's diameter and equator? Equator - what is it? What is almost equal to the length of the equator.

The earth is round - it's common knowledge. What else do we know about its shape and size? Who among us will remember how many kilometers the circumference of the Earth along the equator contains? What about the meridian? Who knows when and how the circumference of the earth was first measured? Meanwhile, these facts are extremely interesting.

For the first time the circumference of the Earth was measured by the name of Eratosthenes, who lived in the city of Siena. At that time, scientists already knew that the Earth was spherical in shape. Observing the heavenly body at different times of the day, Eratosthenes noticed that at the same time the sun, being observed from Syene, is located exactly at the zenith, while in Alexandria on the same day and hour it deviates by a certain angle.

Observations were carried out annually in Measuring this angle with the help of astronomical instruments, the scientist found that it is 1/50 of a full circle.

As you know, a full circle is 360 degrees. Thus, it is sufficient to know the chord of an angle of 1 degree (i.e., the distance between points on the surface of the Earth lying on rays with an angular distance between them of 1 degree). Then the resulting value should be multiplied by 360.

Taking the distance between the cities of Alexandria and Syene (5,000 Egyptian stadia) as the length of the chord, and assuming that these cities lie on the same meridian, Eratosthenes made the necessary calculations and named the figure that equaled the circumference of the Earth - 252,000 Egyptian stadia.

For that time, this measurement was quite accurate, because there were no reliable methods for measuring the distance between cities, and the path from Syene to Alexandria was measured by the speed of the camel caravan.

Subsequently, scientists from different countries repeatedly measured and refined the value that is the circumference of the Earth. In the 17th century, a Dutch scientist named Sibelius came up with a way to measure distances using the first theodolites - special geodetic instruments. This method was called triangulation and is based on the construction of a large number of triangles with the measurement of the basis of each of them.

The triangulation method is still used today, the entire earth's surface is virtually divided and drawn into large triangles.

Russian scientists also contributed to these studies. In the 19th century, the circumference of the Earth was measured in the research led by V. Ya. Struve.

Until the middle of the 17th century, the Earth was considered a sphere of regular shape. But later some facts were accumulated, indicating a decrease in the force of gravity from the equator to the pole. Scientists have fiercely debated the reasons for this, the most plausible was the theory of compression of the Earth from the poles.

To test this hypothesis, the French Academy organized two independent expeditions (in 1735 and 1736), which measured the length of the equatorial and polar degrees, respectively, in Peru and Lapland. At the equator, the degree, as it turned out, is shorter!

Subsequently, other, more accurate measurements confirmed that the Earth's polar circumference is 21.4 km shorter than the equatorial one.

At present, high-precision measurements have been made using the latest research methods and modern instruments. In our country, the data obtained by the Soviet scientists A. A. Izotov and F. N. Krasovsky are officially approved. According to these studies, the circumference of our planet along the equator is 40075.7 kilometers, along the meridian - 40008.55 km. The equatorial radius of the globe (the so-called semi-major axis) is 6378245 meters, the polar (minor semi-axis) - 6356863 meters.

510 million sq. kilometers, of which only 29% belongs to land. The volume of the earth's "ball" - 1083 billion cubic meters. kilometers. The mass of our planet is characterized by the number 6x10^21 tons. Of these, about 7% is accounted for by water resources.

Scientists take the exact circumference of the Earth along the equator as a key characteristic for various calculations. Without taking into account elementary geographical calculations, the value helps in such sciences as geodesy and astronomy. This value can be specified in kilometers, miles or meters.

The circumference of the Earth along the equator in kilometers was calculated in ancient times, because people have always been interested in the parameters of our planet.

At present, its astronomical values are determined:

Name	Unit measurements	Indicator
Maximum distance from the Sun	million km	152
Minimum distance from the Sun	million km	147
Polar diameter	thousand km	12,71
Equatorial diameter	thousand km	12,75
Average surface t	0 С	12,71
Maximum t		60
Minimum t		90
Period of revolution around the sun	day	365,3
The duration of rotation around the axis	hour	23,9
Weight	kg	5,9722* 10 24
Volume	km 3	1,08321*10 12
Orbit length	thousand km	939120
Average density	g/cm 3	5,51-10
Number of satellites	PCS.	1 (moon)
Distance between Moon and Earth (average)	thousand km	384,4

The globe consists of the following elements:

Name	Depth, km	% of total volume
Bark	5-70	1
Mantle	35-2890	70-80
Core	2890-6371	around 30

Scientists have determined that the described celestial body was formed about 4.5 billion years ago. One of the differences between the Earth and the rest of the solar system is that it is habitable. This factor is explained by the distance between the ball and the Sun (about 150 million km.).

The basis of life is water, and the earth's surface is covered with water by 71%. Also, a significant role in creating favorable conditions for living is played by its atmosphere, which consists of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%) and argon (1%).

The zone of our planet in which living organisms live is called the biosphere., and it originates from the bottom of the deepest oceanic trenches, and extends up to 9 thousand km. n. mind.

earth shape

The circumference and diameter of the globe differ because its configuration is a flattened ellipsoid or spheroid instead of a regular sphere. The poles of the Earth are slightly compressed, which causes a bulge on the main meridian and, accordingly, its diameter and circumference increase.

Gravity and the daily rotation of our planet play an important role here. In this case, a centrifugal force appears, reaching its maximum at the equator and decreasing towards the poles. This affects the discrepancy between diameters (equatorial - 12754 km, and polar - 12711 km.)

The local topography is a minor factor in the formation of the shape of the planet (different continental heights and tidal deformations influence here).

To describe the earth form in astronautics and geodesy, it is usually preferred to call it in such terms:

Ellipsoid of revolution, which is obtained as a result of the daily rotation of the Earth around its axis.
geoid, which is a stereometric object with irregular shapes. Its imaginary surface approximately converges with the World ocean surface and extends to the continental zone. The concept of "height above sea level", used in gazetteers and atlases, reports just from this plane. In fact, the level of the water surface is not always aligned with the geoid, which is due to the discrepancy between temperature regimes at different points on the globe, the salinity of the world's water bodies and atmospheric pressure.

Equator - what is it and why is it needed

The equator is a virtual circle that encircles the entire Earth and stretches through its middle. It has been established that this is the longest parallel on the earth, and its length in kilometers is 40075. The equator line lies perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the globe and is at an identical distance from both poles.

When determining the main meridian, scientists use a symbolic circle, the radius of which is equal to the average radius of the Earth. The first person who managed to roughly calculate the length of a conditional line was the Greek geographer, astronomer and philologist Eratosthenes in the III century. BC. In the future, many scientists tried to calculate the length of the equator.

In the 17th century the Dutch astronomer Snellius called for calculating the length of a conditional circle without taking into account the obstacles placed on it (mountains and hills), and in the middle of the XIX century. Soviet astronomer-surveyor F. Krassovsky was able to calculate the length of the earth's ellipse, which is now taken as a standard during scientific development and research.

The equatorial belt on geographical maps allows scientists to make calculations, locate various natural objects and understand climatic zones.

The imaginary line (equator) is located closest to the center of our solar system and therefore receives the greatest number of thermal radiation.

In turn, the greater the distance from the polar boundary is the territory, the colder it is. In the equatorial zone, summer constantly lasts, and the air masses are hot and humid, which is due to regular evaporation. Here day and night have the same duration, and 2 times a year (on the equinoxes) the sun's rays fall vertically downwards.

How to measure the circumference of the earth

The circumference of the Earth at the equator in kilometers is currently measured using measuring equipment and satellites. But it is possible to calculate this value without the use of ingenious tools. As did the ancient Greek scientist Erastofen, who worked in the scientific center, which consisted of an observatory, a vivarium and a laboratory.

He was in charge of the library of this complex and was considered a very well-read person. One day, from traveling fellow citizens, he learned about an extraordinary phenomenon that occurred in Syene (south of Alexandria). Traveling wanderers reported that on the first day of summer (the warmest day of the year) at 12 noon, shadows disappeared in this settlement.

The ancient Greek scientist Eratosthenes, the first to calculate the circumference of the Earth at the equator.

The solar disk was exactly above the head, and the rays sent by it fell vertically down onto the soil. If you look at the surface of the reservoir, then at its bottom it was possible to observe the reflection of the Sun. The astronomer returned to his native settlement and noticed that on the longest annual day at noon, the walls of the building continued to cast a shadow on the ground.

Taking into account his tracking, he was able to calculate the size of the earth's conditional circle. This method was as follows. Due to the gigantic distance between our planet and the solar disk, heat rays descend to the above cities in parallel.

If the Earth had a flat configuration, then the shadows would disappear everywhere at the same time at the same moment. But because the planet is curved, then in Alexandria (located at a distance of 500 miles from the city of Siena), the buildings stand in relation to the Sienese buildings at some angle. On the hottest afternoon, the scientist measured the shadow cast by the stele.

Knowing the length of this obelisk, he determined the length of the straight line that unites the top of the monument and the shadow end. A conditional triangle was formed. According to the geometric rules established in those days, he determined its angles. And as a result, it turned out that the angle of divergence is about 7 0 . This factor indicated that Alexandria was displaced along the Earth's annular line from Siena by this amount.

This angle between settlements occupies 1/50 of the entire circumference. All closed annular bands have 360 0 . The astronomer multiplied the distance between cities (500 miles) by 50 and obtained an indicator of the circumference of the planet - 25 thousand miles. Modern scientists, using high-end equipment, have measured this value and got 24,894 miles.

Circle and Radius Calculations

The circumference of the earth at the equator in kilometers is expressed as 40075. It was calculated using the following method:

Op \u003d 2 * π * radius

According to scientists, it is known that the polar radius is slightly shorter than the equatorial one. The value of the first of them is 6356.8 km, and the second is 6378.2 km.

The difference in indicators is 21 km. In this case, there are 2 options:

Calculation of the earth's circumference according to the equatorial value: 2 * 3.1415 * 6378.2 = 40074
Polar calculation: 2*3.1415*6356.8=39940

Countries along the equator

The equatorial line passes through 13 countries. If you start from the zero meridian and move east, the list looks like this:

How long does it take to walk around the earth

The circumference of the Earth at the equator in kilometers has long been calculated by scientists. Based on the established distance, you can find out how long it will take to cover this distance on foot.

To determine this value, simple calculations should be carried out:

If you follow this route without stops at a speed of 5 km/h, then it will take about 8000 hours or almost 1 year. (40075/5=8015/24=333).
If we assume that the surface of the planet is smooth (without water and mountains) and a person will move at a speed of 6 km / h, then the road will take about 9-10 months. (40075/6=6680/24=278 days). Each month has an average of 30 days, which means: 278/30=9.3. In fact, it is impossible to go all the time without interruptions. For safety reasons, the traveler should walk no more than 6 hours a day. This significantly increases the time required for the trip. (6680/6=1113 days). Considering that there are 365 days in a year, it will take 3 g and 18 days.

Curious features about the equator are collected:

All areas adjacent to the equator are marked by humid and warm climatic conditions. They contain the largest variety of flora and fauna.
Equatorial forests are the densest on the globe, and some areas have impenetrable thickets.
Precipitation near the equator is abundant and falls almost every day. This factor gives the vegetation brightness and picturesqueness.
The high temperature regime makes the states located in the equatorial strip an ideal area for tourist recreation throughout the year.
An active volcano called Wolf (Ecuador) is located on both sides of the meridian.
African r. Congo crosses the conditional line of the section of the globe 2 p.
In the north of the meridian, when draining, the water spins clockwise, and in the south in the opposite direction.
The circumference of the Earth along the equator makes it possible for modern scientists to divide the entire earthly territory into climatic zones.
The Brazilian municipality of Macapa is located in both hemispheres at once. Also, the stadium "Zeran" was built here, which is intersected by the earth's circle in the center of the field. Nearby is a monument called "Marco Zero", dedicated to the main parallel. From this monument almost to the banks of the river. The Amazon stretches "Equatorial Street".
In San Antonio (Ecuador) there is a museum ensemble and an obelisk "The middle part of the world".
The word equator is translated from Latin as "to level". In fact, the circle divides the planet into almost 2 identical hemispheres. Parts of the ball may differ from one another due to the fact that the Earth has not ideal shapes.
On the equatorial strip, there is endless summer, and the daily temperature does not have strong differences. This is due to the fact that the rays of the sun in this place evenly heat the earth's firmament.
The speed of rotation of the Earth on the meridian is 465 m/s.
The first to accurately calculate the length of the line encircling the planet is the ancient Greek astronomer and mathematician E. Kirensky. According to his calculations, the length of this trajectory is 250 thousand stages, or 40 thousand km, which does not differ much from modern, more accurate calculations.
The equator passes through 33 islands.
0.53% of their weight is lost by objects when moving from the poles to the equatorial zone, due to centrifugal force and distance from the center of the globe.
At an altitude of 35.8 thousand km above the main parallel, a geostationary orbit is located. Communication satellites are located above it. The pulse travels back and forth at the speed of light in just ¼ s.
The equatorial territory occupies only 5% of the planet's surface, but it is in this area that almost ½ of the entire world's animal diversity lives.
According to the ancient custom of sailors, all ships crossing the meridian were supposed to celebrate Neptune's Day. During this celebration, recruits had to perform a special ceremony. It consisted in the fact that the old-timers smeared the new ones with fuel oil, then forced them to bathe in the sea or pool and chopped off their hair and beards with an ax. The sailors who passed this ceremony were given a separate document, which saved them from going through this consecration again.

Interestingly, the circumference of the Earth along the equator allows humanity to locate geographic points, and ships and aircraft to orient themselves correctly.

Knowing this figure in kilometers, you can estimate how large this value is.

Article formatting: Svetlana Ovsyanikova

Video on the topic: calculating the circumference of the Earth according to Eratosthenes

How to calculate the circumference of the Earth according to Eratosthenes:

The equator is an imaginary circular line that encircles the entire globe and passes through the center of the Earth.

The equator line is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of our planet and is at an equal distance from both poles.

Equator: what is it and why is it needed?

So the equator is an imaginary line. Why did serious scientists need to imagine some kind of lines outlining the Earth? Then, that the equator, like the meridians, parallels and other separators of the planet, which exist only in the imagination and on paper, make it possible to make calculations, navigate the sea, on land and in the air, determine the location of various objects, etc.

The equator divides the Earth into the northern and southern hemispheres and serves as the reference point for geographic latitude: the latitude of the equator is 0 degrees. It helps to navigate in the climatic zones of the planet. The equatorial part of the Earth receives the largest amount of sunlight. Accordingly, the further the territories are located from the equatorial line and the closer they are to the poles, the less sun they get.

The equatorial region is an eternal summer, where the air is always hot and very humid due to constant evaporation. At the equator, day is always equal to night. The sun is at its zenith - it shines vertically down - only at the equator and only twice a year (on those days that fall on the equinoxes in most geographic zones of the Earth).

The equator passes through 14 states. Cities located directly on the line: Macapa (Brazil), Quito (Ecuador), Nakuru and Kisumu (Kenya), Pontinak (Kalimanta Island, Indonesia), Mbandaka (Republic of the Congo), Kampala (the capital of Uganda).

Equator length

The equator is the longest parallel of the Earth. Its length is 40.075 km. The first who could approximately calculate the length of the equator was Eratosthenes, an ancient Greek astronomer and mathematician. To do this, he measured the time during which the sun's rays reached the bottom of a deep well. This helped him calculate the length of the radius of the Earth and, accordingly, the equator, thanks to the formula for the circumference of a circle.

It should be noted that the Earth is not a perfect circle, so its radius in different parts of the mute differs. For example, the radius at the equator is 6378.25 km, and the radius at the poles is 6356.86 km. Therefore, to solve problems of calculating the length of the equator, the radius is assumed to be 6371 km.

The length of the equator is one of the key metric characteristics of our planet. It is used for calculations not only in geography and geodesy, but in astronomy and astrology.

I learned early on what the equator is, even from my first children's atlases, but it did not arouse a keen interest in me then.

A little later, when I became interested in the nature of South America, my interest in this issue increased dramatically. After all, the equator passes through three South American countries: Ecuador, Brazil and Colombia.

General information about the equator

Officially, we can say that: The equator is a section of the earth, passing through the center of the Earth, and perpendicular to the axis of its rotation.

I'll just tell you that if our planet, like a watermelon, is horizontal and even to cut in half, then on the cut there will be an equator that passes through: the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, as well as a dozen or more states in Africa, Asia and both Americas

It's interesting that:

hemisphere separated from each other equator;
length of the equator more than forty thousand kilometers;
equator it is impossible to touch, in fact, it is only a mark on the maps.

Weather and climate

The climate is humid tropical.

He is characterized by:

If at the poles night and day can last almost half a year, then at the equator they always last exactly twelve o'clock.

Nature and ecology

equatorial belt rich in his tropical forests. It is home to many species of flora and fauna. The variety of life forms is amazing. Remember the African jungle and the Amazon jungle - how many unusual and amazing animals and plants are there!

Unfortunately, it is these forests that have become the main victims of mass deforestation. Violation of this unique ecosystem leads to the death of many species of flora and fauna. It is absolutely impossible to overestimate the importance of these forests for all of us, because they can rightfully be considered "lungs" of our planet.

And even though most of us live far from the equator, any forests are important for all of us! Keep this in mind and do your best to forests have not disappeared from the face of the earth.

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When I start to remember how I learned about the equator, several associations from quite early childhood come to mind. But the brightest is connected with the cartoon about Captain Vrungel. When his yacht crossed the zero parallel, the captain, according to the old maritime custom, arranged a holiday for Neptune, which caused some confusion for the ignorant crew members (they decided that Vrungel had overheated in the sun). Probably, then it became interesting to me what kind of place this "equator" is.

What is the equator

This is a fictitious line passing exactly between the two poles of the planet and at the same time perpendicular to the axis of rotation. So she divides the Earth into two hemispheres: Northern and Southern.

But, despite its intangibility, the equator can still be seen. This line is obtained the closest part of the planet to the sun, which means the warmest. Therefore, it is enough to look at a map of the Earth to see how juicy green tropical forests (they are also called equatorial) "outline" a kind of vegetative equator.

equatorial forests

Kingdom of evergreen trees with beautiful glossy leaves. By the way, the gloss here is not for beauty. Rainforests are always very humid, so plants have learned to produce a special wax that covers the leaves with a thin film It keeps them from rotting. From such "waxed" beauties, water rolls off like an umbrella.

Nowhere else on the planet you will find trees whose flowers and fruits grow right on the trunk. This phenomenon even received a special name - caulifloria.

But like any forest on Earth, the tropical one also has tiers:

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I received the minimum set of knowledge about the equator in my school years in geography lessons. While equator I associated it with the hottest place on the planet, where the sun constantly shines, where exotic fruits grow and amazing animals live. What is the equator?

The equator is the circumference of the earth

It is a circular line passing through the entire globe perpendicular to the axis of its rotation, and located at the same distance from the poles.

What is the equator for?

Once equator is an imaginary line, then I immediately had a question, why then did scientists need to imagine it?

Thanks to the equator, as well as other imaginary lines (meridians, parallels), it is possible to very accurately determine the location of all objects, regardless of where they are (at sea, on land or even in the air).
The equatorial line divides the planet into two parts: the northern and southern hemispheres.
Thanks to the equator, it is easy to navigate in climatic zones. Territories that are located in the immediate vicinity of it receive maximum sun and warmth here is eternal summer! As you move away from here to the poles, you can notice a significant reduction in sunlight reaching the Earth's surface, respectively, as you move away from the equator, the climate becomes colder. I live in central Russia, where even in summer it is not always warm and sunny. Therefore, I am very attracted by hot countries located in the equatorial region.

What is the length of the equator

Equator can be called the longest parallel. Its length was first calculated in ancient Greece. It was the scientist Eratosthenes. He watched the rays of the sun penetrate into a deep well. By measuring the time it took the rays to reach the bottom, he was able to determine the size of the radius of our planet, and then equator length. Such an approximate calculation gave a very accurate result - 40075 km. This parameter of the Earth is one of the key metric characteristics, which is actively used in geodesy, astronomy and astrology.

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One of my favorite topics at school in geography lessons was the calculation of geographical coordinates. In order to find the exact coordinates of the points, I was looking for the equator and the prime meridian. Around that time, I thought about how people live at the equator, because the Northern and Southern hemispheres are fundamentally different from each other. If it is summer north of the equator, then it is winter in the south at the same time. Of course, this happens only in theory, but in life the climate at the equator does not change at all.

What is the equator

When I hear the word equator, then I immediately present a geographical map with a clear straight line in the middle. In practice, this is not at all the case, because equator- only conditional lineI, which divides the earth into two equal parts. From Latin aequator stands for "to equalize". Scientists call the equator a conditional line, which passes through the center of the earth parallel to its axis of rotation. Thanks to mathematical calculations, it was found that equator lengthbut is 40,075.676 km.

Where is the equator

The equator line is start latitude reference. It passes through such large countries:

A bit of history

Even the ancient Egyptians sailed along the coast in the Mediterranean Sea. Phoenicians the first went beyond it through the Pillars of Hercules (as the Strait of Gibraltar was called) into the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. They are dguessed about the existence of the equator, but also could not calculate its length. Phoenicians crossed the line of the equator and swam almost to the southern part of Africa. A cave drawing has survived to this day in Namibia. "The White Lady of Brandberg» .

Age of Discovery

After the discovery of America by Columbus, large-scale voyages of Europeans across the oceans began. Sea routes to India and Australia were opened. F. Magellan was the first to sail the territory of the globe. During your journey Magellan could not sail strictly on the equatoRU. This was not allowed by the geography of the oceans. During the first round-the-world trip already proved the existence of the equator. Navigators used the data of an ancient Greek mathematician Eratosthenes on the length of the equatorial line.

Thanks to the equator, we can calculate the exact coordinates of any point on the earth's surface. This conditional line helps navigate in climatic zones and natural areas. Exactly equatorial latitudes get most plenty of sunlight and heat.

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I remember at the age of 5, my girlfriends and I learned from older comrades that there is a country where it is always warm and always summer. That was the surprise, only knowing the world of kids, and enthusiastic exclamations: “I wish we were like that!”. Much later, at school, we realized that the name of this “super-country” is the equator (our school friends then had it in mind). The task of marking the equator on contour maps still evokes nostalgia when I look at them. And in my student years, the equator, like the passed half of the training, already had a completely different meaning :). But now we are talking about him from the side of geographical representations.

Equator: definition and characteristics

As on a geometric ruler, zero is the reference point, so the equator is the origin of the geographic latitude. Its latitude is zero. It figuratively divides the planet Earth into two hemispheres (Southern, Northern) and perpendicular to the axis of rotation. Interesting features of zero latitude:

for there is real terrain in the path of the imaginary line. Zero parallel crosses three continents (Asia, South America, Africa), three oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian), 13 countries;
the areas near the equator are called the tropics. It really is always summer there. Warm, humid air. Day is invariably equal to night;
this unique part of the Earth, in comparison with others, receives the greatest amount of radiation from the Sun;
thanks to constant solar heat and rains, for a tropical climate characterized by very lush vegetation.

The equator was known even before our era

The knowledge of this fact once again makes one admire, truly, the greatest wisdom of the ancient scientists. As one of my teachers said: “It is easy to make discoveries with a number of tools to achieve the goal, but make at least one discovery with only your mind.” And they could.

Even more than 2000 years ago, the ancient Greek philologist, geographer, mathematician, astronomer - Eratosthenes of Cyrene was able to calculate the length of the radius of our planet and its circumference. The data obtained by him differ very slightly from modern ones! Scientists claim the length of the equator is 40,075 km, Eratosthenes "counted" approximately 39,500 km. Press "Enter" to comment

I like to always start with the origin and translation of the word, because usually this is the main meaning. Translated from Latin word"equator" means « equalize, equalize". That is, the very word "equator" is something separating and equalizing.

There are many everyday expressions for the word "equator". For example, the equator of study in a higher educational institution means half of the completed course of study. But I will return to the most commonly used meaning of this term, namely, to the geographical equator!

What is the Earth's equator

If we talk about the equator of the Earth, then this is equidistant from both poles imaginary plane, which divides our earth cuts it like an apple into two equal halves - Southern and Northern Hemispheres!

at the equator the length of the day and night are the same- this surprised me the most!
at the equator items at noon and people cast no shadows on equinoxes- feel like a vampire!
How closer to the equator, the less you will weigh, since gravity decreases!
At the equator our the planet is spinning faster! This rotation speed is almost one and a half times higher than the speed of sound in air!
equator line closest to the sun, so there warmest thing on earth, but nevertheless on the equator line at an altitude of 4690 meters located glacier!

In the world exists several monuments to the equator! The most famous of them - Marco Zero in Brazil and a monument called "Middle of the World" in Ecuador.

Not in vain in Ecuador decided to build equator monument, because it is to him that the country owes its name! In the name of the opportunity to take pictures on the famous yellow line, crowds of tourists flock to it. But, in fact, the real equator line in Ecuador runs a little further - on the territory of the Intiñan Museum, but this usually does not bother tourists!

Why was the equator introduced?

Definition of the Equator helps with mapping, determining the coordinates, orienteering and even satellite launch! As we approach the equator, the climatic and physical conditions change so much that you do not have time to be surprised at the diversity of our planet!

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For two halves. In this regard, it is not surprising that people are wondering: what is the equator? The equator is an imaginary line that exactly intersects the surface of our Earth with a plane that is considered perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the planet and passes directly through its center. From Latin, the word "aequator" is translated as "equalizer". This line is a conditional beginning for counting the geographical latitude equal to 0 degrees at the equator.

The length of the equator is 40,075.676 km, the other lines (parallels) are always less than its length. Throughout his line, day is constantly equal to night. It is the equator that divides our planet into two hemispheres, Southern and Northern. Twice a year, on the days of the autumn and spring equinoxes, the sun is at its zenith above it. falls on March 20-21, and autumn - on September 23. These are directly overhead, and objects don't cast shadows.

The length of the equator is calculated by scientists using the formula 2πR, despite the fact that the Earth is not spherical, but elongated in the form of an ellipse (a ball flattened at the poles). Nevertheless, the radius of our planet is conventionally taken as the radius of the ball. The length of the earth at the equator is the longest line encircling the earth. An interesting fact is that it crosses 14 states.

If you move from towards the east, then the equator crosses such states as Sao Tome and Principe in the Atlantic Ocean, then Gabon, Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia in Africa. Moving along the Indian Ocean, it passes through the Maldives and Indonesia. In the Pacific Ocean, the equator crosses Kiribati and the Baker Islands, which belong to the United States, then Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil, which are located on the South American continent. These countries are the hottest on the planet.

The length of the equator was first calculated by the ancient Greek scientist Eratosthenes, who was not only a great mathematician, geographer, poet, but also an astronomer. By measuring the time it took the sun's rays to reach the bottom of the well, the scientist was able to calculate the radius of the globe and find out how long the equator was. These calculations are very approximate, but they gave much to subsequent generations of scientists to more accurately calculate the length of this imaginary line. Eratosthenes of Cyrene was born in 276 BC. and died in 194 BC.

It was one of the greatest scientists of the ancient world. He was born in the Greek city of Cyrene and, at the invitation of King Ptolemy III Euergetes, was in charge of the Library of Alexandria. This great scientist died of hunger, in terrible poverty, but went down in history as an insightful researcher with an extraordinary approach to science. The length of the equator according to Eratosthenes was 252 thousand stades, which is 39,690 km. The creator of mathematical and physical geography, Eratosthenes made great discoveries in many areas. It is very difficult for a modern person to understand how a scientist, without any instruments, calculated the length of the equator, with an error of only 386 kilometers.

Many mathematicians and astronomers subsequently also tried to calculate the length of the equator. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Dutchman Snellius proposed to calculate this value without taking into account the obstacles encountered. In the XVIII century, scientists from France were seriously engaged in such calculations. The Russians also did not stand aside and made their contribution to science, which made it possible to determine what is the length of the earth along the equator. Director V.Ya. Struve carried out these measurements in degrees in the period from 1822 to 1852, and in 1941 the Soviet geodesist F.N. Krasovsky was able to calculate the length of the earth's ellipse, from which modern scientists around the world start, since it is recognized as a standard.