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On the sphere, constant $\theta$ gives a latitude circle of radius $a\sin \theta$ and height $a\cos \theta$. Constant $\varphi$ gives a meridian semicircle in a vertical plane through the $z$ axis. The orthonormal basis of spherical coordinates isHere ${\mathbf{e}}_r$ points outward, ${\mathbf{e}}_{\theta }$ along increasing polar angle, and ${\mathbf{e}}_{\varphi }$ along increasing azimuth. At either pole the radial unit vector is unambiguous, but the two tangential coordinate vectors depend on the undefined longitude. The figure shows their directions away from the poles.

This coordinate ambiguity does not make a vector field singular if its tangential coefficient vanishes suitably. In Cartesian coordinates,The first is smooth at the north pole and zero there; the second is smooth and zero at the south pole. Their actual singular axes are the opposite ones. These are the regular patches of a two-patch vector potential for a radial monopole.