SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY
Spherical Trigonometry – It concerns with
triangles extracted from the surface of a
sphere.
Great Circle
– is a circle whose center coincides with the
center of the sphere.
– It is a circle on the surface of sphere that
has the same diameter as the sphere.
Small Circle
– is a circle constructed by a plane crossing
the sphere not in its center.
Spherical Triangle
– consists of three arcs of great circles that
form the boundaries of a portion of a
spherical surface.
Important Propositions of Spherical
Triangle
1. If 2 sides are equal, opposite angles are
also equal.
2. If first side is greater than the second
side, angle opposite the first is also greater
than the 2nd side.
3. The sum of any 2 sides is greater than
the 3rd side.
4. The sum of 3 sides is less than 360
degrees.
5. The sum of 3 angles is between 180 and
540 degrees.
6. The sum of any two angles minus the 3rd
angle is less than 180 degrees.
Right Spherical Triangle
– A right spherical triangle is one with a right
angle.
– A spherical triangle with 2 right angles is
called birectangular spherical triangle.
– A spherical triangle with 3 right angles is
called trirectangular spherical triangle.
Solution of Right Spherical Triangle
using Napier’s Rule
1. Sin-Ta-Ad Rule (Sine-Tangent-Adjacent)
– The sine of any middle part is equal to the
product of the tangent of the adjacent parts.
sin a=tanb tan B́
sin a=tanb tan(90 °−B)
2. Sin-Co-Op Rule (Sine-Cosine-Opposite)
– The sine of any middle part is equal to the
product of the cosine of the opposite parts.
sin a=cos ć cos Á
sin a=cos (90 °−c )cos (90 °− A)
Napier’s Circle
 Quadrantal Spherical Triangle
– is a spherical triangle having a side of 90
degrees. Equator
– is a great circle whose plane is
Oblique Spherical Triangle perpendicular to the axis.
– is one with no angle equal to 90 degrees.
Meridian
Solution of Oblique Spherical Triangle – is half of a great circle on the earth
1. Law of Sines terminated by the north pole and the south
a b c pole.
= =
sinA sinB sinC
Prime Meridian
2. Law of Cosines for sides – an imaginary line on Earth that passes north
to south through the Greenwich Observatory
cos a=cos b cos c +sin b sin c cos A in London, England.
cos b=cos a cos c +sin a sin c cos B
cos c=cos a cos b+sin a sin b cos C – The prime meridian divides Earth into the
Eastern Hemisphere and the Western
3. Law of Cosines for angles Hemisphere.
cos A=−cos B cos C +sin B sin C cos a
cos B=−cos A cos C +sin A sinC cos b – The prime meridian is at 0° (0 degrees)
cos C=cos A cos B+ sin A sin B cos c longitude.

International Date Line

– is located at about 180° east (or west). It is
Terrestrial Sphere halfway around the world from the prime
meridian (0° longitude), the reference point of
time zones, which runs through Greenwich,
UK.

Formula for Area of Spherical Triangle

π R2 E
A=
180 °

E=A + B+C−180°

1 1 1 1 1
tan
4 √
E= tan s tan ( s−a) tan (s−b)tan (s−c )
2 2 2 2

Terrestrial Sphere D=360 ° −(a+ b+c )

– refers to the earth (though slightly
ellipsoid) as sphere with a radius of 3959
statute miles. Where: R = radius of the sphere
E = spherical excess in degrees
– The terrestrial sphere rotates about a 1
s = ( a+b+ c)
diameter called its axis which pierce the 2
sphere in the north pole and the south pole. D = spherical defect