Direction Angle

Direction Angle

 

an angle that characterizes the direction of an arbitrary straight line with respect to an initial direction, particularly with respect to a coordinate axis. In geodesy, a distinction is made between a direction angle on an ellipsoid and a direction angle in a plane (of a projection or of a topographical map). In a plane (Figure 1), the direction angle α12, which at the point P1 has the direction P1P2 to the point P2, is defined as the angle at P1 (in a clockwise direction) between the straight line parallel to the .Y-axis and the directed line P1P2. The direction angle is a basic concept in geodesy and is also used in artillery, navigation, and other fields.

Figure 1