Figure 2.1.3.1

Drenth, J.

doi:10.1107/97809553602060000658

International
Tables for
Crystallography
Volume F
Crystallography of biological macromolecules
Edited by M. G. Rossmann and E. Arnold

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International Tables for Crystallography (2006). Vol. F. ch. 2.1, p. 47 | 1 | 2 |

Figure 2.1.3.1

J. Drenth^a ^*

^a Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
Correspondence e-mail: j.drenth@chem.rug.nl

Figure 2.1.3.1

How to construct a stereographic projection. Imagine a sphere around the crystal with O as the centre. O is also the origin of the coordinate system of the crystal. Symmetry elements of the point groups pass through O. Line OP is normal to a crystal plane. It cuts through the sphere at point a. This point a is projected onto the horizontal plane through O in the following way: a vertical dashed line is drawn through O normal to the projection plane and connecting a north and a south pole. Point a is connected to the pole on the other side of the projection plane, the south pole, and is projected onto the horizontal plane at [a'] . For a normal OQ intersecting the lower part of the sphere, the point of intersection b is connected to the north pole and projected at [b'] . For the symmetry elements, their points of intersection with the sphere are projected onto the horizontal plane.