Which specific terrestrial line is cited as a perfect example of a great circle?
Answer
The Earth's equator.
The Earth's equator is provided as a textbook example of a great circle because the imaginary plane used to define it passes directly through the Earth's core. This perfect alignment causes the equator to divide the planet into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres identically. Furthermore, any meridian, which is a line of longitude running from the North Pole to the South Pole, is also identified as a great circle, as these paths also trace the shortest distance along the surface relative to the poles.
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