The Great Ellipse on the Surface of the Spheroid
Abstract
On any surface which fulfils the required continuity conditions, the shortest path between two points on the surface is along the are of a geodesic curve. On the surface of a sphere the geodesic curves are the great circles and the shortest path between any two points on this surface is along the arc of a great circle, but on the surface of an ellipsoid of revolution, the geodesic curves are not so easily defined except that the equator of this ellipsoid is a circle and its meridians are ellipses.
- Publication:
-
Journal of Navigation
- Pub Date:
- 1996
- DOI:
- 10.1017/S0373463300013333
- Bibcode:
- 1996JNav...49..229W