Question

The 0° Meridian is also known as ___________.

Answer 1

Hint: 0° meridian is the meridian or a line of longitude in a geographic coordinate system. Both 0° meridian and its anti meridian form a great circle.

Complete answer: 0° meridian is also known as Prime Meridian which is a line of longitude in a geographic coordinate system. Both Prime meridian and anti meridian form a circle which divides a spheroid into two hemispheres i.e. Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere. It is not tidally locked unlike an equator which is determined by the axis of rotation. Internationally in 1884 it was selected as Greenwich Meridian in the International Meridian Conference, as a standard time reckoning throughout the world. This modern Prime Meridian is at the Royal observatory, Greenwich.

The line of 0° longitude has slowly moved toward the west from this shifted position by a few centimetres towards the Airy Transit Circle because of the movement of Earth’s tectonic plate since 1984 and With the introduction of satellite technology, it became possible to create a more accurate and detailed global map with Prime Meridian at the centre.

Note: Prime Meridian is also the reference meridian of the Global Positioning System which is operated by the United States Department of Defense. 0° is known as Prime Meridian which is a longitudinal line whereas 0° latitudinal line is known as Equator.