Spherical Trigonometry Spherical Trigonometry Spherical Diangle

Spherical Triangle ABC: Spherical Diangle AA: The entire sphere is made of four
diangles:
2 of a
3 corners: A, B, and C 2 corners: A, and A
and
(diametrically opposed)
2 of a = 180° − a
3 angles: a, b, and g
2 equal angles: a
3 sides (arches of great Spherical Diangle Area = 2 R2 a
circles): a, b, and c
2 equal sides (arches of
great circles): a Proof: 2 R2 a + 2 R2 a + 2 R2 a + 2 R2 a = 4 p R2
Sphere of radius R=OA=OB
=OC

FNAC11 3 FNAC11 4 FNAC11 5

Spherical Triangle: 3 Great Circle Planes 3 Great Circle Planes divide the sphere into 8 Spherical Triangles Area of a Spherical Triangle
2 by 2 identical due to spherical symmetry
ABC + ABC = 2 R2 a

ABC + ABC = 2 R2 b
ABC ≡ ABC
ABC + ABC = 2 R2 g
ABC ≡ ABC

ABC ≡ ABC
3 ABC + (ABC + ABC + ABC) = 2 R2 (a + b + g)
ABC ≡ ABC
Identical triangles
Hemisphere:
ABC + (ABC + ABC + ABC) = 4 p R2 / 2 = 2 p R2

Spherical Symmetry: ABC ≡ ABC 2 ABC = 2 R2 (a + b + g − p) = R2e

FNAC11 6 FNAC11 7 FNAC11 8
Spherical excess

Area of a Spherical Triangle

Spherical Triangle upside down Equation of B’C’ from OB’C’:
ABC = R2 (a + b + g − p) = R2e OA=OB=OC=R
OB and OC are extended to OB’ and
OC’ until they join the tangents AB’ Equation of B’C’ from AB’C’:
Spherical excess
and AC’
e  a  b  g  p  0,2p  OAC’ = 90° OAB’ = 90°

FNAC11 9 FNAC11 10 FNAC11 11

Equation of B’C’ from OB’C’:

=
Equation of B’C’ from AB’C’:
Go for cos(a)… Go for cos(a)…

Law of Cosines of Sides

FNAC11 12 FNAC11 13 FNAC11 14

Spherical Trigonometry Laws = Relationships between angles and sides

solving the
orthodrome
problem
means to
Law of Cosines of Sides calculate the
unknown
elements of
the spherical
The Orthodrome triangle DNA
Law of Cosines of Angles

Orthodrome = the shortest distance between two points on a sphere

also known as Great Circle route
Law of Sines

FNAC11 15 FNAC11 17

How to calculate orthodromic distance and navigation tracks (courses)

known apply Rule of
elements: Cosine of Sides to
find n n  arccossin LATd  sin LATa  cos LATd  cos LATa  cosn 

DIS ORT  n  ( R  H )
a = 90° – LATd
d = 90° – LATa
 cos LATa  sinn   cos LATd  sinn 
  arcsin  
a  arcsin  
 sin n   sin n 

 cos LATa  sinn   cos LATd  sinn 

  p  arcsin   a  p  arcsin  
 sin n   sin n 

arcsine function does not discriminate between supplementary angles

n = | LONGa – LONGd |
cos n  cos a  cos d  sin a  sin d  cosn
FNAC11 18 FNAC11 19 FNAC11 20
 always expect trouble with arcsine, arccosine and arctangent Track (course) of departure and track (course) of arrival
functions orthodrome
route ideally is
TK d   *) a continuous
the angle could very well be the other one: p  a
slight turn from
departure up to
TK d  p   arrival

in practice this
TK a  a curve is
approximated
by a number of
TK a  p  a *) polygons
(loxodromes)
with 1° apart
depending on the particular case, one of the formulas applies tracks
*) these formulae apply in the illustrated case

FNAC11 21 FNAC11 22 FNAC11 23

Law of movement on the orthodrome (trajectory equation) Vertex Point Vertex Point


a   arccos  cos   cosn   sin   sinn   cos a  is the northernmost (southernmost) point along the route, where
the track is purely eastward (090) or westward (270)
sometimes Vertex
Point does not belong
to the route, falling
n   LONG  LONGd V somewhere outside
the longitude range,
on the great circle
 sin  
LAT   arccos  sin a 
 sin a  

 sin   sin a 
LAT   arccos 
 sin arccos  cos   cos LONG  LONG  sin   sin LONG  LONG  cos a  
 d d 

FNAC11 24 FNAC11 25 FNAC11 26

Vertex Point – Orthodrome Approximation Vertex Point Vertex Point

to calculate LONGV we build an equation system: write the Law of
when it falls inside the replace a* with p/2 or 3p/2
Cosines of Angles for nV and the Law of Sines
longitude range, it is
worth taking it as 
a   arccos  cos   cosn   sin   sinn   cos a  0 1
waypoint in the list of cosn V   cos   cos aV  sin   sin aV  cos nV
waypoints which
approximate the n   LONG  LONGd
1
orthodrome sinn V sin aV

 sin   sin nV sin a
LAT   arccos  sin a 
 sin a  
cosn V  sin   cos nV

 sin   p  sin   sinn V 1

LATV   arccos  sin a    arcsin   sin a  
 1  2  1  sin nV sin a

FNAC11 27 FNAC11 28 FNAC11 29

 Vertex Point Vertex Point Vertex Point
solve the trigonometric equation system by substitution method
cos 2 n V  sin 2 
1  sin 2 a  sin 2 n V
sin 2  sin 2   cos 2 a
cosn V n V   arccos
cos nV  1  sin 2   sin 2 a
sin 

sin nV  sin a  sinn V 

sin 2   cos 2 n V  sin 2   sin 2 a  1  cos 2 n V  sin 2 n V  1  cos 2 n V

sin 2   cos 2 a
LONGV  LONGd  arccos
   
cos 2 n V  1  sin 2   sin 2 a  sin 2   sin 2   sin 2 a  sin 2   1  sin 2 a  sin 2   cos 2 a 1  sin 2   sin 2 a
add up the two equations squared

cos 2 n V sin 2   cos 2 a p  sin  

cos 2 nV  sin 2 nV   sin 2 a  sin 2 n V cos 2 n V  LATV   arcsin   sin a 
sin 
2 1  sin 2   sin 2 a 2  1 

1 sin 2   cos 2 a
n V   arccos
1  sin 2   sin 2 a
FNAC11 30 FNAC11 31 FNAC11 32

Orthodrome = the shortest distance between two points on a sphere Spherical Triangle DNA

Given: Given:
D = Departure a = 90°−LATD
A = Arrival d = 90°−LATA
(LAT,LONG) n = |LONGA−LONGD|
Required: Required:
n = Distance n = Distance
TKD, TKA = Track  = TKD
TK=TK(LONG) a = 180°− TKA

FNAC11 33 FNAC11 34 FNAC11 35

FNAC11 36 FNAC11 37 FNAC11 38

Problem: Calculate the Orthodrome from Bucharest to Tokyo LROP – RJTT Orthodrome LROP – RJTT Orthodrome

Orthodrome
Bucharest Tokyo Bucuresti Henri Coanda Int LROP N 44 ° 34.3 ' E 26 ° 5.1 '
a = 90-LATd (rad) 0.792874
d = 90-LATa (rad) 0.950274
Tokyo RJTT N 35 ° 33.2 ' E 139 ° 46.9 '
LATD  4434.3' N
niu (rad) 1.984381
LATA = 35° 33.2’ N LATd(deg) N44.34 n (rad) 1.394744
LONGd(deg) E026.05  (rad) 0.858212
 (rad) p-ASIN 2.28338
LONGD  02605.1' E
LATa(deg) N35.33
a (rad) 0.72422
LONGA = 139° 46.9’ E LONGa(deg) E139.47
a (rad) p-ASIN 2.417373
TKd (rad) 0.858212
LATd (rad) 0.777922 0.440754 TKd (deg) 49
LONGd (rad) 0.455269 0.966302 TKa (rad) 2.417373
LATa (rad) 0.620523 -0.39811 TKa (deg) 139
LONGa (rad) 2.43965 -0.75485
Problem: Now Calculate the Orthodrome from Tokyo to LATv (rad) 1.001505
LONGv (rad) 1.343906
Bucharest LATv (deg) N57.23
LONGv (deg) E077.00
DIS ORT (NM) 4807

FL390 R+H 3446.419 NM

FNAC11 39 FNAC11 40 FNAC11 41

RJTT – LROP Orthodrome

sin 2   cos 2 a
LATd(deg) N35.33 LONGV  LONGd  arccos
– (minus) 1  sin   sin a
2 2
LONGd(deg) E139.47
LATa(deg) N44.34
Orthodrome
LONGa(deg) E026.05
a = 90-LATd (rad) 0.950274
d = 90-LATa (rad) 0.792874
niu (rad) 1.984381
n (rad) 1.394744
 (rad) 0.72422
LATd (rad) 0.620523
 (rad) p-ASIN 2.417373
LONGd (rad) 2.43965
a (rad) 0.858212
LATa (rad) 0.777922
a (rad) p-ASIN 2.28338
LONGa (rad) 0.45527
TKd (rad) 5.558965
TKd (deg) 319
TKa (rad) 3.999805
TKa (deg) 229
LATv (rad) 1.001505
LONGv (rad) 1.343906
LATv (deg) N57.23
LONGv (deg) E077.00
DIS ORT (NM) 4807

FNAC11 42