The invention discloses a method for identifying a triangular star map, and belongs to the field of navigation, guidance and control of spacecraft. The method comprises the following steps of: 1, establishing a navigation database, namely constructing characteristic triangles, calculating a plane unit normal vector, solving an optimal projection principal axis and projection point values, and normalizing magnitude; 2, forming an observation triangle; and 3, searching a characteristic triangle which is most matched with the observation triangle from the navigation database, sequentially retrieving a projection point value block index stable, a characteristic triangle table and a magnitude normalizing table in a hierarchical retrieval mode, and finishing the matching of the observation triangle. The method for identifying the triangular star map solves the problems of low noise robustness, more redundant matching and low identification rate of the conventional method for identifying the triangular star map, obviously improves the search speed of the navigation database, reduces redundant matching, improves the identification rate, and has higher noise robustness.