[Math] How to find tangent distance from a point on a sphere to a spherical polar cap

geometryvectors

Suppose we have a point $P$ on a unit-sphere, and another point $X$ (may be north-pole) with spherical cap radius $r$ (radius along sphere surface). We need to find tangent distance from $P$ to the cap (tangent along spherical surface).

This is part of a bigger problem: We need to find shortest distance between two points on a sphere (along surface) so that it does not go through a spherical cap.

Best Answer

I'm not sure to well understand your question, so I add a figure. enter image description here

The figure is a plane section of your sphere passing from $P$. If I well understand the distance that you want is the length of the arc $PB$.( If this is wrong than my answer is wrong)

You know the radius of the cap, that is the arc $AB=\beta$. In this case the arc $PB$ is simply $\dfrac{\pi}{2}-\alpha-\beta$ , where $\alpha$ is the arc that fix the position of $P$ with respect to the equatorial plane of the sphere(its latitude).

If you know as radius of the cap the distance $CB$ than you can find $\beta=\arcsin (CB)$.

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