Planetary Map Index
Index of Maps of the Planets and Satellites
Original publication by J.L. Inge and R.M. Batson, 1992.
Map Formats
Projections:
The projections used on most published planetary and satellite map series of the USGS are combinations or variations of Polar Stereographic, Lambert Conformal Conic, and Mercator projections. Mars 1:500,000-scale maps were usually compiled on a Transverse Mercator projection. A small number of special-purpose maps have been prepared on the Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area and the Oblique Stereographic projections. Maps published by the DMA have used similar projections in addition to gnomonic and orthographic projections.
Digital maps are stored in Sunusoidal equal-area coordinates, and subdivided into "tiles." The tiles for the Digital Mars Map have the same boundaries as those used for the Mars 1:500,000-scale Transverse Mercator series (figure 11).
The divisions of the mapping projections, which distinguish the formats of different map series and their related scale factors were discussed by Batson (1990). Eleven formats used for USGS planetary maps are diagrammed below.
Figure 1. Format for mapping using the Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection.
Figure 2. Synoptic format for making planetwide maps on a single sheet.
Figure 3. Subdivision of the synoptic format for making maps on three sheets. The polar maps are printed on the same sheet.
Figure 4. Subdivision of the synoptic format for making maps of Venus on eight sheets.
Figure 5. Format for mapping Mars at 1:5,000,000-scale on 30 sheets.
Figure 6. Format for mapping Mars at 1:2,000,000-scale on 140 sheets.
Figure 7. Format for mapping Mercury-sized bodies such as the Jovian satellites at 1:5,000,000-scale on 15 sheets.
Figure 8. Format for mapping Moon-sized bodies at 1:5,000,000-scale on four sheets.
Figure 9. Format for mapping the Moon at 1:1,000,000-scale on 144 sheets.
Figure 10. Format for mapping Venus at 1:5,000,000-scale on 62 sheets.
Figure 11. Format for mapping Mars at 1:500,000-scale on 1964 sheets.