Great circle

Imagine you draw a really big circle on a globe or a map. This circle would be so big that it goes all the way around the middle of the globe, like a belt. This special circle is called the great circle.

The great circle is special because it is the biggest circle you can draw on a globe or map that cuts the globe or map into two equal halves. It is like drawing a line down the middle of a sandwich to make two pieces that are the same size.

When people are flying long distances, they try to follow the path of the great circle. This is because it is the shortest distance between two faraway places. It is like taking the most direct path to get from one place to another instead of going the long way around.

Be careful, though! On a flat map, the great circle may look like a curved line instead of a circle. This is because the globe is round and a flat map cannot show its roundness perfectly.