Spherical Geometry in Navigation

Spherical geometry is any geometry occurring on the 2-dimensional surface of a sphere. Even though the axioms for spherical geometry are similar to those of Euclidean geometry, there are some fundamental differences that create unique situations such as triangles with interior angles totaling greater than 180 degrees. Due to the Earth’s spherical nature, spherical geometry is incredibly important in navigational techniques since the shortest distance is no longer what we might consider a “straight” line. In this presentation, we explain the fundamentals of spherical geometry and how it is used in navigation, specifically in modern day air travel. Made by: Arvind Arikatla and Rebecca Glowinski