great-circle course

great-circle course

[′grāt ¦sər·kəl ′kȯrs]

(navigation)

Course along the direction of the great circle through the departure point and the destination; expressed as the angular distance from a reference direction, usually north to the direction of the great circle; the angle varies from point to point along the great circle.

great-circle course

The route between two points on the earth's surface measured along the shortest segment of the circumference of the great circle on which the two points are located. A great circle establishes the shortest distance over the surface of the earth between any two terrestrial points.