IPY Coordinates Fields

The optional Latitude of Target and Longitude of Target fields are for specifying the coordinates of the area you are interested in photographs of. These fields need to be specified as numbers in units of degrees. For latitude, use negative numbers for south of the equator. The valid range is [-90,90]. For longitude, use negative numbers for west of the prime meridian. The valid range is [-180,180].)

The optional Radius of Target field is for specifying an area of interest beyond the scope of a single point. It is used to help us find times of closest acquisition that we can use in our message to the ISS crew. It is also used by the "Check Status" page for displaying links to existing images in our database that may apply to the request. A circle of encounter based on the specified radius in terms of degrees from the specified coordinates is calculated for finding these times and images. We realize that the ground distance between longitude lines decreases towards the poles, but since the International Space Station does not have an inclination that takes it close to the poles (51.6 deg. inclination), using a radius in terms of degrees is acceptable for these purposes.