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Indexing the Sphere with the Hierarchical
Triangular Mesh
September 1, 2005
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Download PDF
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BibTex
Authors

Jim Gray
Publication Type
TechReport
Number
MSR-TR-2005-123

Abstract

Related Info
Abstract
We describe a method to subdivide the surface of a sphere into spherical triangles of similar, but
not identical, shapes and sizes. The Hierarchical Triangular Mesh (HTM) is a quad-tree that is
particularly good at supporting searches at different resolutions, from arc seconds to
hemispheres. The subdivision scheme is universal, providing the basis for addressing and for fast
lookups. The HTM provides the basis for an efficient geospatial indexing scheme in relational
databases where the data have an inherent location on either the celestial sphere or the Earth. The
HTM index is superior to cartographical methods using coordinates with singularities at the
poles. We also describe a way to specify surface regions that efficiently represent spherical query
areas. This article presents the algorithms used to identify the HTM triangles covering such
regions
Related Info
Related Files
 tr-2005-123.doc
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