Why is Longitude divided into east and west?

[dallas]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

If you leave London going east you start at 0°and go to 180°.
If you leave London going west you start at 0°and go to 180°.

Instead of confusing navigation with an east and west system that requires
more math to solve your position, why didn't they just go with 0°to 359°?

Dallas

 

[Arthur]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

Probably because they knew it would confuse you : )

CYYZ

"Dallas" <Cybnorm@spam_me_not.Hotmail.Com> wrote in message
news:iOG2e.7918$H06.4819@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> If you leave London going east you start at 0°and go to 180°.
> If you leave London going west you start at 0°and go to 180°.
>
> Instead of confusing navigation with an east and west system that requires
> more math to solve your position, why didn't they just go with 0°to 359°?
>
> Dallas
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

Because that's the only way you can find tomorrow, that's right at the date
line which would be idealy, 180 degrees. Of course, it isn't, but then the
system was created by people, and people are never perfect. And you
certainly wouldn't want the Asians to deal with 3 digits while the Euros
only have to deal with 1 or 2.

Good luck,
Bumper7

"Dallas" <Cybnorm@spam_me_not.Hotmail.Com> wrote in message
news:iOG2e.7918$H06.4819@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> If you leave London going east you start at 0°and go to 180°.
> If you leave London going west you start at 0°and go to 180°.
>
> Instead of confusing navigation with an east and west system that requires
> more math to solve your position, why didn't they just go with 0°to 359°?
>
> Dallas
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim (More info?)

Phil Rhodes wrote:
> Because that's the only way you can find tomorrow, that's right at the date
> line which would be idealy, 180 degrees. Of course, it isn't, but then the
> system was created by people, and people are never perfect. And you
> certainly wouldn't want the Asians to deal with 3 digits while the Euros
> only have to deal with 1 or 2.
>
> Good luck,
> Bumper7
>
> "Dallas" <Cybnorm@spam_me_not.Hotmail.Com> wrote in message
> news:iOG2e.7918$H06.4819@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>
>>If you leave London going east you start at 0°and go to 180°.
>>If you leave London going west you start at 0°and go to 180°.
>>
>>Instead of confusing navigation with an east and west system that requires
>>more math to solve your position, why didn't they just go with 0°to 359°?
>>
>>Dallas
>>
>>
>
>
>
Remember east is 0 to -180 and west is 0 to +180
rcl