Small circle
349704
208552826
2008-04-27T16:43:20Z
SieBot
4005189
robot Adding: [[fy:Lytssirkel]]
A '''small circle''' of a [[sphere]] is the circle constructed by a plane crossing the sphere not in its center. Small circles always have smaller [[diameter]]s than the sphere itself (compare [[great circle]]).
<div style="float:right; text-align:center;">
[[Image:Small_circle.svg]]
<br>''Small circle of a sphere.''
</div>
The small circle does not have the smallest [[curvature]], and hence, a segment on its circumference does not represent the shortest path between two [[Point (geometry)|point]]s on a spherical [[surface]].
Except for 90 Degrees [[North Pole|North]] or [[South Pole|South]] and the [[Equator]], all parallels of [[latitude]] upon the [[Earth]] are small circles (or at least close approximations, as the Earth varies from a true sphere to a relatively minor extent). An observer standing on such a circle and viewing its path toward an unobstructed horizon, would perceive it to bend away from his line of sight, an effect of the inequality between the amount of curvature to his left and right.
By contrast, all meridians of [[longitude]] are great circles.
{{geometry-stub}}
[[Category:Spherical trigonometry]]
[[bg:Малка окръжност]]
[[de:Kleinkreis]]
[[eo:Malgranda cirklo]]
[[fy:Lytssirkel]]
[[nl:Kleincirkel]]
[[pl:Koło małe]]
[[sv:Småcirkel]]