Calculation and visualization of distortions in morphographic projections
There are different ways of estimating the distortions that help us find the best cartographic projections and recommend them for a specific range of tasks from mapping the Earth to extraterrestrial mapping. Besides the planets and their satellites there are small bodies in the Solar System. For mapping these bodies it is advisable to use morphographic projections to show their non-spherical shape. These projections were developed by Philip Stooke. He also proposed replacement of a regular reference surface with a phoboid and methods for estimating distortions but practically implemented them on the example of a body with a regular shape approximated by test triaxial ellipsoid with a ratio of axes 4:3:2. In this regard we set the task of developing and implementing the method for determining distortions in morphographic projections for a body with an irregular shape. We used the algorithm of comparison cartographic cell on projection and on phoboid in order to estimate distortion. The object of mapping is Phobos, a satellite of Mars. Phobos is a non-spherical celestial body for which morphographic projections were first applied. Comparing our results by the values of distortions with the results obtained by Philip Stooke we can conclude that using morphographic projections makes less distortion at portraying a phoboid than a test triaxial ellipsoid.