A little European history for you kids, in this post. As a starter in case you’re not aware, to get around, we humans have created a scheme based on meridians. A prime meridian is an arbitrarily-chosen meridian in a geographic coordinate system at which longitude is defined to be 0°. Together, a prime meridian and its anti-meridian form a great circle. This great circle divides a spheroid, like Earth, into two hemispheres: the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere. It sounds kind of random when you think about it, and it actually is in many ways. But, despite that, we humans need it if we want to get around.
In geography and geodesy, a meridian is the locus connecting points of equal longitude, which is the angle (in degrees or other units) east or west of a given prime meridian (currently, the IERS Reference Meridian).[1] In other words, it is a line of longitude. The position of a point along the meridian is given by that longitude and its latitude, measured in angular degrees north or south of the Equator. On a Mercator projection or on a Gall-Peters projection, each meridian is perpendicular to all circles of latitude. A meridian is half of a great circle on Earth’s surface. The length of a meridian on a modern ellipsoid model of Earth (WGS 84) has been estimated as 20,003.93 km (12,429.87 mi).
Got it? Phew. Now, to the fun part. The ever clever Tim Traveler was wandering around The Louvre in Paris and noticed several round “indicators” planted into the tarmac. There were several in that venerable of buildings, and so he followed through with the video above. Since it’s Tim, it’s fun, but also educational. Time to learn your science once again. Watch above and behold. While you’re there, visit the Louvre!
While you’re at The Louvre, say hello to this lovely lady . . . and more. Click here to snatch your tickets.
Take the train to Paris and beyond. Trainline is your source. Click here.
We love the Hotel du Champ de Mars. Located in Paris, Hotel du Champ de Mars is 900 metres from the Eiffel Tower and 700 metres from Les Invalides. It offers free WiFi access, a 24-hour frond desk and individually decorated guest rooms. Serviced by a lift, all rooms feature a fan, a telephone and a flat-screen TV with satellite channels. A hairdryer, free toiletries and a bath or shower are provided in the bathroom. Breakfast can be enjoyed every morning at Hotel du Champ de Mars. It can be served in the comfort of your room. Free newspapers are at guests’ disposal and a shuttle service can be arranged at an extra cost. The Rodin Museum is a 15-minute walk away. Click here to book.