<p>The stereographic projection
(<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereographic_projection" rel="noreferrer">Wikipedia</a>,
<a href="http://mathworld.wolfram.com/StereographicProjection.html" rel="noreferrer">Wolfram MathWorld</a>)
is commonly used for all-sky maps
(e.g. <a href="http://www.skymaps.com/" rel="noreferrer">Skymaps.com</a>,
<a href="https://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/" rel="noreferrer">Your Sky</a>).
As distance from the center of the map increases,
constellations grow larger but keep their shapes.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-05T23:33:26.013Z
Stereographic worked beautifully, thanks!
gphilip
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-25T18:13:35.710Z
Does stereographic projection works also for horizon views?
Mr_LinDowsMac
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-25T18:27:41.690Z
@Mr_LinDowsMac Yes, if you can accept a slightly curved horizon. If the view is very wide, a cylindrical projection may be a better choice.
Mike G
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-25T19:17:16.960Z
I found some of your projections here: https://armchairastronautics.blogspot.com/p/skymap.html, and allows to set a horizon marker in some of them. I tried with cyllindrical stereographic, but the problem is to find the right amount of zoom of naked eye user view, there is no FOV field settting.
Mr_LinDowsMac
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-05T22:35:20.917Z
2016-09-05T22:35:20.917Z
Mike G
<p>I'm working on a star map program and I'm wondering what are the most common map projections used to print star maps...? I want to map of the entire visible sky from a certain point on the surface of Earth. I have all the visible stars and their Altitude-Azimuth, but I need to map this semi-sphere onto a circle in 2D. </p>

<p>I'd like to get something like this:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/JRBKp.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/JRBKp.png" alt="Star map"></a> </p>

<p>I've been playing around with equidistant and gnomonic (-1 RE) projections but they feel too distorted. What are the most common projections used for 2D, circular, entire-visible-sky star maps?</p>

<star>
Map projections used for star maps
gphilip
# Map projections used for star maps

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-09-05)

I'm working on a star map program and I'm wondering what are the most common map projections used to print star maps...? I want to map of the entire visible sky from a certain point on the surface of Earth. I have all the visible stars and their Altitude-Azimuth, but I need to map this semi-sphere onto a circle in 2D.

I'd like to get something like this:

[![Star map](https://i.sstatic.net/JRBKp.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/JRBKp.png)

I've been playing around with equidistant and gnomonic (-1 RE) projections but they feel too distorted. What are the most common projections used for 2D, circular, entire-visible-sky star maps?

**Tags:** star


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-09-05. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

The stereographic projection
([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereographic_projection),
[Wolfram MathWorld](http://mathworld.wolfram.com/StereographicProjection.html))
is commonly used for all-sky maps
(e.g. [Skymaps.com](http://www.skymaps.com/),
[Your Sky](https://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/)).
As distance from the center of the map increases,
constellations grow larger but keep their shapes.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Stereographic worked beautifully, thanks!  
> **username_2**: Does stereographic projection works also for horizon views?  
> **username_1**: @username_2 Yes, if you can accept a slightly curved horizon. If the view is very wide, a cylindrical projection may be a better choice.  
> **username_2**: I found some of your projections here: https://armchairastronautics.blogspot.com/p/skymap.html, and allows to set a horizon marker in some of them. I tried with cyllindrical stereographic, but the problem is to find the right amount of zoom of naked eye user view, there is no FOV field settting.  

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