In the function “Distance and bearing” the distance between two entered coordinates as well as the direction from one to the other is calculated and output according to the desired unit of length. The directions are determined both from A to B and from B to A.
However, there is a catch with the projection: in navigation, there are two ways of calculating and displaying the connection between two points:
- Geodesics or orthodromes
The start and destination points lie on a great circle. This is the shortest connection between two points. - Loxodromes or rhumb lines
The connection between the starting and destination points always intersects the longitudes/meridians at the same angle.
S-Man42 has described this in detail in a blog article.
How does the GC Wizard calculate the distance and bearing?
