Space physics coordinate systems

Introduction

These pages describe the various coordinate systems used in space physics. They are all presented here as cartesian systems - though, of course, they can also be used as spherical coordinate systems. Note that only two cartesian axes have to be defined to specify any system; the third axis is just that required to complete a right-handed cartesian triad.

We may divide the coordinate systems into various classes:

• Geocentric systems, which have one of their principal axes defined with respect to some natural feature of the Earth or its motion around the Sun.
• Heliocentric systems, which have one of their principal axes defined with respect to some natural feature of the Sun.
• Local systems, which have one of their principal axes defined with respect to some local feature:
  • local horizontal coordinates at Earth-based facilities
• Boundary normal systems

Last updated 30 July 1997 by Mike Hapgood (Email: M.Hapgood@rl.ac.uk)