Learn more about Mapping Toolbox

antipode - Point on opposite side of globe

Syntax

[newlat,newlon] = antipode(lat,lon)
[newlat,newlon] = antipode(lat,lon,angleunits)

Description

[newlat,newlon] = antipode(lat,lon) returns the geographic coordinates of the points exactly opposite on the globe from the input points given by lat and lon. All angles are in degrees.

[newlat,newlon] = antipode(lat,lon,angleunits) specifies the input and output units with the string angleunits. The string angleunits can be either 'degrees' or 'radians'. It can be abbreviated and is case-insensitive.

Examples

Example 1

Given a point (43ºN, 15ºE), find its antipode:

[newlat,newlong] = antipode(43,15)
newlat =
         -43
newlong =
         -165			

or (43ºS, 165ºW).

Example 2

Perhaps the most obvious antipodal points are the North and South Poles. The function antipode demonstrates this:

[newlat,newlong] = antipode(90,0,'degrees')
newlat =
         -90
newlong =
         180			

Note that in this case longitudes are irrelevant because all meridians converge at the poles.

Example 3

Find the antipode of the location of the Mathworks corporate headquarters in Natick, Massachusetts. Map the headquarters location and its antipode in an orthographic projection. Begin by specifying latitude and longitude as degree-minutes-seconds and then convert to decimal degrees.

mwlat = dms2degrees([ 42 18 2.5])
mwlon = dms2degrees([-71 21 7.9])

mwlat =
   42.3007
mwlon =
  -71.3522

[amwlat amwlon] = antipode(mwlat,mwlon)

amwlat =
  -42.3007
amwlon =
  108.6478

Prove that these points are antipodes:

dist = distance(mwlat,mwlon,amwlat,amwlon)

dist =
  180.0000

The distance function shows them to be 180 degrees apart.

Generate a map centered on the original point:

subplot(1,2,1)
axesm ('MapProjection','ortho','origin',[mwlat mwlon],...
       'frame','on','grid','on')
load coast
geoshow(lat,long,'displaytype','polygon')
geoshow(mwlat,mwlon,'Marker','o','Color','red')
s = ['Looking down at (' angl2str(mwlat,'ns') ...
    ',' angl2str(mwlon,'ew') ')'];
title(s)

Add a second map centered on the computed antipodal point:

subplot(1,2,2)
axesm ('MapProjection','ortho','origin',[amwlat amwlon],...
       'frame','on','grid','on')
geoshow(lat,long,'displaytype','polygon')
geoshow(amwlat,amwlon,'Marker','o','Color','red')
t = ['Looking down at (' angl2str(amwlat,'ns') ...
    ',' angl2str(amwlon,'ew') ')'];
title(t)

angledim

arcgridread

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