The Stereographic Projection
AimsBefore you startIntroductionBasic conceptDemonstration of projectionImportant properties of the stereographic projectionThe Wulff netUse of the Wulff net in constructing a stereogramPlotting poles on the stereogram through use of the Wulff netIdentifying poles on a stereogram through use of the Wulff netApplications of the Stereographic Projection - SlipInteractive Wulff netSummaryQuestionsGoing furtherTLP creditsTLP contentsShow all contentViewing and downloading resourcesAbout the TLPsTerms of useFeedbackCredits Print this page
PreviousNext
The Wulff net
Having understood how the projection is constructed, we can now look at how it is examined using the Wulff Net. The net is a projection of a collection of great and small circles, which represent lines of latitude (small circles) and lines of longitude (great circles) on the sphere, as seen here:
If we consider rather more of each, we can project them downwards as before using the principle of projection to construct a stereographic projection of planes which are two degrees apart. This creates the Wulff Net.
This can be used to place planes and poles of planes on a stereogram with great accuracy. It allows the maintenance of angular truth, while still being easy to draw.