The other side of the world

July 12 2007 in Blogroll, Islam, Polokwane, South Africa, religion

If you drew a line starting from where you are sitting, went through the earth’s core, and came out the other side, you would be on the exact opposite side of the world. I’ve often wondered where that would be, and I don’t want to spend time with a globe and a calculator to find out.

I found antipodemap.com, which does it for you. Drag the pushpin over any spot on the earth’s surface, and it will show you the exact opposite side in another window. It even tells you the exact latitude and longitude.

Unfortunately, you have a 71% chance of popping up on water. I started from my town of Polokwane, South Africa and ended up in the Pacific ocean, barely missing Hawaii. Next I went on to the city of my birth (Los Gatos, CA). Water again. The opposite side is a few hundred miles SE of Madagascar.

Then I thought, hmm, a Muslim would be in a pickle come prayer time and he was directly opposite Mecca. Which direction should he face to pray? Down? I set the pushpin on Mecca with much anticipation. Unfortunately, it was the middle of the southern Pacific, about three thousand miles away from any sizable landmass. I guess Mohammed chose the site of his holy city well.