Tähtsaim gnomoonilise projektsiooni omadus on see, et kõik kera suurringid projekteeruvad tasandile sirgjoontena, seepärast kasutatakse gnomoonilise projektsiooni merekaarte ehk nn suurringkaarte meresõidus ortodroomiliste peilingute ja kursside arvestamisel ning suurringsõidul ookeanil.
Central projections are similar to parallel projections in that they also associate points in one set with points in another set by projection lines that pass through the associated points, with the difference that the projection lines all pass through a given point.
The gnomonic projection was used by Thales of Miletus, an ancient Greek astronomer and philosopher, to chart the heavens. It is possibly the oldest map projection.
