Because they make big circles around the Earth.
Great circles.
great circles
the lines on the globe are called longitude and latitude lines the longitude lines go up and down while the latitude lines go left to right
latitude and longitude
The equator and the lines of longitude.
The equator and all lines of longitude are called great circles because the represent the circumference of the earth. The other latitude lines along the globe are smaller then the actually circumference.
Great circles.
great circles
great circles
Lines of longitude.
great circles
These invisible lines that circle the earth and are vertical or running north to south are longitude or meridian lines. These lines are also perpendicular to lines called latitudes that are parallel to the equator.
Lines of latitude are called parallels which run east-west as circles parallel to the equator. There are 5 named lines of latitude called the Arctic Circle, Tropic of Cancer, Equator, Tropic of Capricorn, and Antarctic Circle from North to South, respectively.On the other hand, lines of longitude are called meridians.
An invisible line that forms east-west circles around the Earth is called both parallel and line of latitude. An imaginary line that circles the earth from north to south is called both meridian and line of longitude.
The lines of latitude and longitude.
Latitude and LongitudeLatitude is the lines that go from east to west, and longitude from north to south.
They're not. A "great circle" is a circle drawn on a sphere that has its center at the center of the sphere. -- The only line of latitude that's a great circle is the equator. None of the others are. -- Each meridian of longitude is 1/2 of a great circle. In order to form a complete great circle, you have to glue it together with the other meridian of longitude that's directly opposite it on the other side of the globe. Like the Prime Meridian and 180° longitude, or 34° east longitude and 146° west longitude.