stereographic projection

stereographic projection [¦ster·ē·ə¦graf·ik prə′jek·shən]

(crystallography)

A method of displaying the positions of the poles of a crystal in which poles are projected through the equatorial plane of the reference sphere by lines joining them with the south pole for poles in the upper hemisphere, and with the north pole for poles in the lower hemisphere.

(mapping)

A perspective conformal, azimuthal map projection in which points on the surface of a sphere or spheroid, such as the earth, are conceived as projected by radial lines from any point on the surface to a plane tangent to the antipode of the point of projection; circles project as circles through the point of tangency, except for great circles which project as straight lines; the principal navigational use of the projection is for charts of the polar regions. Also known as azimuthal orthomorphic projection.

(mathematics)

The projection of the Riemann sphere onto the euclidean plane performed by emanating rays from the north pole of the sphere through a point on the sphere.