Why An azimuthal (azimuthal equidistant) projection is drawn centered on one specific point, usually your own station. Great circle paths from that center appear as straight radial lines, so the compass bearing you read off the map is the true short-path heading to aim a directional antenna, and distances measured outward from the center are correct. The tradeoff is that land masses far from the center get badly stretched and distorted.
Watch out The choice about accurate land masses describes what an azimuthal map gives up; the satellite choices describe orbital inclination and longitude increment per orbit, which belong to satellite tracking, not HF beam headings.
Azimuth = bearing. Center the map on your QTH, read the heading straight off, point the beam.