The term “azimuth” may strike you as a complex, technical term that only astronomers use. However, it’s actually an important concept used in navigation, engineering, mining, mapping, and even ballistics. Through the use of the Azimuth Calculator, you can calculate the distance between two points across the globe. However, let’s first understand what the azimuth truly is.
The word “azimuth” comes from the Arabic word for “direction.” It refers to the angular measurement between two points in a spherical coordinate system. It measures the horizontal direction of an object in degrees, minutes, or seconds along a theoretical horizon. This theoretical horizon refers to the horizon if the earth were perfectly smooth with no landforms to distort the measurement.
The azimuth, simply put, tells you which direction you need to point your compass to in order to reach your final point with the shortest distance. By using the Azimuth Calculator, you get both the angle you need to point your compass to along with the distance between your starting point and your final point.
The Azimuth Calculator is an incredibly simple tool you can use to determine the azimuth between two specific points on earth. It uses the haversine formula, which is a formula used in spherical trigonometry. Luckily, with the use of the calculator, you won’t need to remember the formula!
To determine the azimuth and distance of two points on the globe, you’ll need a few variables. First, you’ll need the latitude of both your starting point in degrees. This value should be positive if your starting point is in the northern hemisphere and negative if it’s in the southern hemisphere. Next, you’ll need the latitude of your final point, wherein the value is positive if it’s in the northern hemisphere and negative if it’s in the southern hemisphere.
You will also need the longitude of your initial point where the value is positive if it’s in the eastern hemisphere and negative if it’s in the western hemisphere. Lastly, you’ll need the longitude of your final point, with the value being positive if it’s in the eastern hemisphere and negative if it’s in the western hemisphere.
Once you input these values in the Azimuth Calculator, you will get the azimuth in degrees and the distance between these two points.
For example, you would like the know the azimuth and distance of Tokyo, Japan respective to Lima, Peru.
The latitude of Tokyo is 35.6762 degrees North, while its longitude is 139.6503 degrees East. Lima, on the other hand has the following coordinates: -12.0464 degrees South and -77.0428 degrees West. Note that the coordinates for Lima are negative because it’s in the southern and western hemisphere.
Once you input this into the calculator, it will show you that the distance between these two cities is 15,495 km, and the azimuth is 63.78 degrees.
Try experimenting with different coordinates on the globe to see how far apart they are and what their azimuth is!
