On a mercator projection, a line of constant true bearing is a

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On a mercator projection, a line of constant true bearing is a

A line of constant bearing is a rhumb line (loxodrome). A rhumb line keeps crossing all meridians at the same angle, which is what “constant true bearing” means. On a Mercator map, meridians are drawn as vertical lines and the projection preserves angles, so a path that maintains a fixed angle to north appears as a straight line. That straight-line representation is what makes Mercator charts convenient for plotting constant-heading courses. A great circle, by contrast, is the sphere’s shortest route and does not maintain a constant bearing, so it curves on a Mercator map. A parallel is a special case of a rhumb line (bearing due east or west), but the general concept for a line of constant bearing is rhumb line.

A line of constant bearing is a rhumb line (loxodrome). A rhumb line keeps crossing all meridians at the same angle, which is what “constant true bearing” means. On a Mercator map, meridians are drawn as vertical lines and the projection preserves angles, so a path that maintains a fixed angle to north appears as a straight line. That straight-line representation is what makes Mercator charts convenient for plotting constant-heading courses. A great circle, by contrast, is the sphere’s shortest route and does not maintain a constant bearing, so it curves on a Mercator map. A parallel is a special case of a rhumb line (bearing due east or west), but the general concept for a line of constant bearing is rhumb line.

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