1. What is an Antipode?

An antipode is a point on the Earth's surface that is diametrically opposite to another point. If you drew a straight line through the Earth's center from one point, it would emerge at the antipodal point.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the antipode formula:

Where:

• \( lat \) — Latitude in degrees (-90 to 90)
• \( lon \) — Longitude in degrees (-180 to 180)

Explanation: The antipode is found by inverting the latitude (changing north to south or vice versa) and adding or subtracting 180° from the longitude (ensuring the result stays within -180° to 180°).

3. Importance of Antipodes

Details: Antipodes are important in geography, seismology (earthquake analysis), and astronomy. They're also interesting for cultural reasons - some people enjoy finding what's on the exact opposite side of the world from their location.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter latitude (-90 to 90) and longitude (-180 to 180) in decimal degrees. Positive values are north/east, negative values are south/west.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the antipode of the North Pole?
A: The South Pole, and vice versa.

Q2: Are there any land antipodes?
A: Most antipodes are in the ocean, but some land areas do have land antipodes (e.g., parts of Spain/New Zealand).

Q3: How precise is this calculation?
A: Mathematically exact for a perfect sphere. The Earth is an oblate spheroid, but the difference is negligible for most purposes.

Q4: What's special about 0°, 0° coordinates?
A: The antipode of (0°, 0°) is (0°, 180°), which is in the Pacific Ocean near Kiribati.

Q5: Can I find my exact antipodal location?
A: Yes, enter your exact coordinates to find what's on the exact opposite side of the world.