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Oblateness)
- This article is about the geometric solid figure. For a member of a Roman Catholic religious order, see Oblate (religion).
An oblate spheroid is an ellipsoid having a shorter axis and two equal longer axes.
An oblate spheroid
The oblate spheriod is interesting because it is the approximate shape of many planets and celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is therefore the geometric figure most used for defining reference ellipsoids, upon which cartographic and geodetic systems are based.
- For a discussion of the physics of a spinning celestial body, see: Equatorial bulge
See also
