Custom Formula for Accurate Direction Calculation in Airtable

To calculate the Qibla direction using Airtable, you can use a combination of trigonometric calculations to determine the initial bearing from a given location to the Kaaba. Here’s how you can approach this problem using Airtable’s formula field:

Formula Breakdown: The initial bearing (or azimuth) can be calculated using the following steps:
Convert latitude and longitude from degrees to radians. Apply the trigonometric formulas to find the bearing. Convert the result back to degrees.

Formula Components
Latitude and Longitude of the Kaaba:
Latitude (Kaaba): 21.4225
Longitude (Kaaba): 39.8262

Input Coordinates (let’s assume these are columns in Airtable):
Latitude (Location): {Latitude}
Longitude (Location): {Longitude}

Steps to Implement in Airtable: Add Fields for Latitude and Longitude:
Ensure you have fields for the latitude and longitude of the location and the Kaaba.

Add Formula Field for Bearing Calculation: Create a new formula field to compute the Qibla direction. Airtable’s formula field can handle basic trigonometric functions.

Here’s a detailed formula you can use:

// Convert degrees to radians
LAT_KAABA = 21.4225
LON_KAABA = 39.8262
LAT_LOC = {Latitude}
LON_LOC = {Longitude}

LAT_KAABA_RAD = LAT_KAABA * PI() / 180
LON_KAABA_RAD = LON_KAABA * PI() / 180
LAT_LOC_RAD = LAT_LOC * PI() / 180
LON_LOC_RAD = LON_LOC * PI() / 180

// Calculate differences
LON_DIFF = LON_LOC_RAD - LON_KAABA_RAD

// Bearing calculation
X = SIN(LON_DIFF) * COS(LAT_LOC_RAD)
Y = COS(LAT_KAABA_RAD) * SIN(LAT_LOC_RAD) - SIN(LAT_KAABA_RAD) * COS(LAT_LOC_RAD) * COS(LON_DIFF)

BEARING_RAD = ATAN2(X, Y)
BEARING_DEG = (BEARING_RAD * 180 / PI() + 360) % 360

// Final formula to output
BEARING_DEG

Unfortunately, Airtable’s formula field doesn’t directly support all the functions needed for trigonometric calculations in a straightforward manner. For complex calculations like these, you might need to use Airtable’s scripting block. Here’s how you can use Airtable Scripting:

Set Up Scripting Block: Go to the Apps section in Airtable and add a Scripting block.
Write the Script: Use the following JavaScript code in the scripting block:

let table = base.getTable("YourTableName");
let query = await table.selectRecordsAsync();
let kaabaLat = 21.4225;
let kaabaLon = 39.8262;

for (let record of query.records) {
let locLat = record.getCellValue("Latitude");
let locLon = record.getCellValue("Longitude");

// Convert degrees to radians
let latKaabaRad = kaabaLat * Math.PI / 180;
let lonKaabaRad = kaabaLon * Math.PI / 180;
let latLocRad = locLat * Math.PI / 180;
let lonLocRad = locLon * Math.PI / 180;

// Calculate differences
let lonDiff = lonLocRad - lonKaabaRad;

// Bearing calculation
let x = Math.sin(lonDiff) * Math.cos(latLocRad);
let y = Math.cos(latKaabaRad) * Math.sin(latLocRad) - Math.sin(latKaabaRad) * Math.cos(latLocRad) * Math.cos(lonDiff);

let bearingRad = Math.atan2(x, y);
let bearingDeg = (bearingRad * 180 / Math.PI + 360) % 360;

// Update the record with the bearing
await table.updateRecordAsync(record.id, {
"Bearing to Qibla": bearingDeg
});
}

Run the Script: Execute the script to compute and update the Qibla direction for each record in your table.