Times

Description

The Times projection is a compromise pseudocylindrical map projection for world maps and a modified Gall stereographic projection with curved meridians.

The Times projection was developed by John Moir in 1965 for Bartholomew Ltd., a British mapmaking company. It is available in ArcGIS Pro 1.0 and later and in ArcGIS Desktop 8.1.1 and later.

An example of the Times projection
The Times projection is shown centered on Greenwich.

Projection properties

The subsections below describe the Times projection properties.

Graticule

Times is a pseudocylindric projection. The equator and the central meridian are projected as straight lines. The other meridians are equally spaced sinusoidal curves. The parallels and both poles are straight lines. The parallel spacing increases from the equator to the poles as on the Gall stereographic projection. The graticule is symmetric across the equator and the central meridian.

Distortion

The Times projection is neither conformal nor equal-area. Shapes, areas, distances, directions, and angles are all generally distorted. The projection has correct scale along the standard parallels at 45° north and south. Distortion increases away from the standard parallels and it is extreme at the polar regions. The distortion values are symmetric across the equator and the central meridian.

Usage

This projection could be used for general world maps not requiring accurate areas although its use is not recommended due to extreme distortion in polar regions.

Limitations

The Times projection is supported on spheres only. For ellipsoids, the average of the semimajor and semiminor axes is used for the radius.

Parameters

Times parameters are as follows:

  • False Easting
  • False Northing
  • Central Meridian

Sources

Snyder, J. P. (1993). Flattening the Earth. Two Thousand Years of Map Projections. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.

Snyder, J. P. and Voxland, P. M. (1989). An Album of Map Projections. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1453. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.