3 ms·
This is arguably where mercator shines. Note that the paths are straight lines. Otherwise you'd be scratching your head as to why they're taking long curved r
by jofer 3y ago
This is arguably where mercator shines. Note that the paths are straight lines. Otherwise you'd be scratching your head as to why they're taking long curved routes instead of straight paths.
And the distance is going to be distorted no matter what.
- grotorea 3y agoGood points. Since there are so many projections I thought there would be one for distances but the equidistant projections only work for specific points of origin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Map_projection#Equidistant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Map_projection#Equidistant
- jcranmer 3y agoExcept the shortest distance between two points on the surface of a sphere is a geodesic, not a rhumb line. So a straight line on a Mercator projection (rhumb line) is not a "straight" line on the surface of the planet, and if I see a long straight line, I'm asking "why aren't they taking the shortest path?"
- kube-system 3y agoStraight lines on mercator are a constant bearing which is the most simple way to navigate.
- OscarCunningham 3y agoDo ships still use rhumb lines? I'd have thought that modern technology was good enough to guide them along geodesics.
- jofer 3y agoShips often follow shipping lanes. Many shipping lanes are deliberately rhumb lines rather than great circle paths.
- OscarCunningham 3y agoBut the Mercator projection doesn't show shortest-paths as straight lines unless they're north-south or the equator.
- colanderman 3y agoGnomonic projection shows great circles as straight lines: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnomonic_projection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnomonic_projection