How do you find the distance on a Mercator chart?
On a Mercator chart, the latitude scale on the sides of the chart serves as the distance scale. It’s worth remembering that only the vertical, latitude scale on a Mercator chart can be used to measure distance, not the horizontal longitude scale.
What is Mercator scale?
The Mercator point scale is unity on the equator but varies with latitude as . Since tends to infinity as we approach the poles the Mercator map is grossly distorted at high lines. For this reason, the projection is totally inappropriate for world maps (unless we are discussing navigation and rhumb lines).
How does scale change on a normal Mercator chart?
Although the linear scale is equal in all directions around any point, thus preserving the angles and the shapes of small objects, the Mercator projection distorts the size of objects as the latitude increases from the equator to the poles, where the scale becomes infinite.
What is Mercator projection chart?
Mercator projection, type of map projection introduced in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator. This projection is widely used for navigation charts, because any straight line on a Mercator projection map is a line of constant true bearing that enables a navigator to plot a straight-line course.
How do you calculate nautical mile on a chart?
Measuring Distance on a Nautical Chart
- 1′ (minute) of latitude = 1 nautical mile.
- 1∘ degree of Latitude = 60′ (minute) or 60 nautical miles.
- Land mile = 1609m.
- Nautical mile = 1852m / 1.15 land miles.
How do you calculate nautical miles?
A nautical mile is based on the circumference of planet Earth. If you were to cut the Earth in half at the equator, you could pick up one of the halves and look at the equator as a circle. You then divide that circle into 360 degrees, and a degree into 60 minutes. A minute of arc on planet Earth is 1 nautical mile.
What is a Mercator chart how was it made?
Mer·ca·tor projection (mər-kā′tər) A method of making a flat map of the Earth’s surface so that the meridians and parallels appear as straight lines that cross at right angles. In a Mercator projection, the areas farther from the equator appear larger, making the polar regions greatly distorted.
What type of map is a Mercator map?
Description. Mercator is a conformal cylindrical map projection that was originally created to display accurate compass bearings for sea travel. An additional feature of this projection is that all local shapes are accurate and correctly defined at infinitesimal scale.
What is a Mercator map used for?
In 1569, Mercator published his epic world map. This map, with its Mercator projection, was designed to help sailors navigate around the globe. They could use latitude and longitude lines to plot a straight route.