HEALPix-geo: Geo-algorithms for HEALPix#

healpix-geo is a Python library which contains geo-specific algorithms for healpix. It is built on top of the cdshealpix rust crate, but unlike the cdshealpix python bindings it does not require astropy.

Install#

conda install -c conda-forge healpix-geo

pip install healpix-geo

pixi add healpix-geo

uv add healpix-geo

pixi run build-all-wheels # option 1: build wheels for all supported python versions
pixi run -e py313 build-wheel # option 2: build wheel for python=3.13

# then install the appropriate wheel:
pip install ./target/wheels/healpix-geo-<version>-cp313-cp313-<wheel-version>.whl

Why HEALPix for Geosciences?#

Traditional map projections introduce distortion: a cell at the equator covers a very different area than one near the poles. DGGS (Discrete Global Grid Systems) such as HEALPix solve this by design — every cell at a given depth covers exactly the same surface area.

Classes of map projections vs DGGS

Traditional map projections distort area and shape. DGGS like HEALPix provide equal-area, seamless global coverage.#

Principal Functionalities#

  • Ellipsoid Support : healpix-geo supports reference ellipsoids such as WGS84 for optimal geodetic accuracy.

  • Performances : Rust implementation with Python bindings for fast computation, including native multi-threading support.

  • Geo-algorithms : Coverage calculations, neighbor search, distance calculations…

  • Easy Integration : Compatible with NumPy, compatible with visualization tools such as Matplotlib.

Start#

Quickstart

Learn basics in 10 minutes.

Quickstart
User Guide

Fundamental concepts and detailed guides.

User Guide
API Reference

Complete documentation of all functions.

API reference
Terminology

Learn the general terms.

Terminology

Resources#