Editing Geodetic datum (section)

== Geodetic coordinates ==
{{Main|Geodetic coordinates}}
{{further|Geographic coordinate system}}
[[File:Geocentric vs geodetic latitude.svg|thumb|right|300px|The same position on a [[spheroid]] has a different angle for latitude depending on whether the angle is measured from the normal line segment ''CP'' of the [[ellipsoid]] (angle ''α'') or the line segment ''OP'' from the center (angle ''β''). The "[[wikt:flatness|flatness"]] of the spheroid (orange) in the image is greater than that of Earth; as a result, the corresponding difference between the "geodetic" and "geocentric" latitudes is also exaggerated.]]

In ''geodetic coordinates'', Earth's surface is approximated by an [[Earth ellipsoid|ellipsoid]], and locations near the surface are described in terms of ''[[geodetic latitude]]'' (<math>\phi</math>), ''[[longitude]]'' (<math>\lambda</math>), and ''[[ellipsoidal height]]'' (<math>h</math>).<ref group="note">About the right/left-handed order of the coordinates, i.e., <math>(\lambda, \phi)</math> or <math>(\phi, \lambda)</math>, see [[Spherical coordinate system#Conventions]].</ref>