How do you calculate Haversine distance?

Decoding the Haversine Formula: A (Relatively) Painless Guide to Calculating Distances on Earth

Ever wondered how your GPS knows exactly how far you are from that amazing taco place? Or how airlines plot the shortest flight paths? Chances are, the Haversine formula is involved. It’s a clever bit of math that lets you calculate the distance between two points on a sphere, like, well, Earth. And trust me, it’s way more useful (and less scary) than it sounds.

So, What Is This Haversine Thing?

Okay, picture the Earth. It’s round-ish, right? Now, imagine drawing a straight line between New York and London. That line would go through the Earth. The Haversine formula, on the other hand, calculates the distance if you were to travel along the surface of the Earth – the shortest possible route, also known as the “great-circle distance.” Forget flat maps; this is about embracing the curve! The name comes from some old-school trigonometry, but don’t let that intimidate you. We’ll break it down.

The Nitty-Gritty (But Not Too Nitty)

Alright, here’s the formula. Don’t panic! We’ll walk through it:

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