Which projection involves projecting from a globe onto a plane that touches the globe at a single point?

• A. Gnomonic Projection (Single Point)
• B. Conic Projection (Cone)
• C. Mercator Projection (Cylinder)
• D. Longitude (Vertical)

Answer: (A)

The projection that uses a plane touching the globe at a single point is the gnomonic projection. In this method, you project from the center of the Earth onto a plane that is tangent to the globe at that one point. Because the projection is from the center onto a tangent plane, great circles on the globe appear as straight lines on the map, which is a distinctive feature of this type. Distortion grows quickly as you move away from the tangent point, so the map is most accurate near that point.

The other options describe different setups: a conic projection uses a cone, not a plane; a Mercator projection uses a cylinder; and “Longitude” refers to lines of longitude, not a projection type.