Deck Navigation (Supplementary) USCG Question #1917 (Set 5)

The latitude of the upper vertex of a great circle is 36°N. What is the latitude of the lower vertex?

Official USCG Answer & Rule Citation

Correct Answer: Option A — 36°S

Great circles are symmetrical tracks on the earth's sphere. The upper and lower vertices represent the maximum latitudes reached by the great circle in the northern and southern hemispheres respectively, and their absolute numerical values must be equal, placing the lower vertex at 36°S.

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