Latitude ( or ). It is measured in degrees, minutes and seconds or decimal degrees, north or south of the equator. The precise measurement of latitude requires an understanding of the gravitational field of the Earth, either to set up theodolites or to determine GPS satellite orbits. The study of the figure of the Earth together with its gravitational field is the science of geodesy. This article relates to coordinate systems for the Earth: it may be extended to cover the Moon, planets and other celestial objects by a simple change of nomenclature. The graticule is formed by the lines of
Battle of the Line Battle of the Line The Battle of the Line is a fictional battle in the "Babylon 5" fictional universe, the final battle of the Earth-Minbari war. The Battle of the Line was a desperate attempt by the Earth Alliance to stop a Minbari combat fleet from attacking Earth. Over 20,000 Human defenders fought in the battle, including most of the remaining warships of the Earth fleet. Despite this armada, the Minbari fleet easily destroyed most of the defending human warships, taking few losses themselves. Incredibly, however, the Minbari suddenly surrendered to the almost-defeated humans with no explanation. The first commander