Which projection is characterized by projecting lines that are parallel and perpendicular to the tangent plane of the map?

• A. Equal area
• B. Meridian
• C. Orthographic projection
• D. Parallels

Answer: (C)

Think of how the globe is projected onto a flat surface when the projection rays are all coming from the same direction and strike the surface straight on. That exact setup—projection lines that are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the tangent plane—defines the orthographic projection. It’s like viewing the Earth from infinitely far away along a fixed direction, so every line of sight is normal to the plane that just touches the sphere at a single point.

Other options don’t specify this combination. Equal area concerns preserving area, not the direction of projection lines. A meridian-focused approach implies projection along specific longitudinal lines rather than a uniform, perpendicular direction to the plane. Parallels describes lines of latitude themselves, not how the globe is projected onto the plane. So the description best matches orthographic projection.