altazimuth

American  

[al-taz-uh-muhth] / ælˈtæz ə məθ /

noun

Astronomy.

1. an instrument for determining both the altitude and the azimuth of a heavenly body.

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altazimuth British  

/ ælˈtæzɪməθ /

noun

1. an instrument for measuring the altitude and azimuth of a celestial body by the horizontal and vertical rotation of a telescope

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Etymology

Origin of altazimuth

First recorded in 1855–60; alt(itude) + azimuth

Example Sentences

Cassini, moreover, set up an altazimuth in 1678, and employed from about 1682 a “parallactic machine,” provided with clockwork to enable it to follow the diurnal motion.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 7 "Arundel, Thomas" to "Athens" by Various

To render the lunar observations more continuous, Airy employed Troughton’s successor, James Simms, in conjunction with the engineers, Ransome and May, to construct an altazimuth with three-foot circles, and a five-foot telescope, in 1847.

From History of Astronomy by Forbes, George

Telescope, consisting of a brass tube 3-1/2 in. long with an aperture of 2-3/4 in.; on its original brass tripod, with a serviceable altazimuth mounting.

From Early American Scientific Instruments and Their Makers by Bedini, Silvio A.

This may be furnished either with an equatorial bearing for the telescope, or an altazimuth arrangement which permits both up-and-down and horizontal motions.

From Pleasures of the telescope An Illustrated Guide for Amateur Astronomers and a Popular Description of the Chief Wonders of the Heavens for General Readers by Serviss, Garrett Putman

Besides a larger altazimuth that he erected in 1898, he has widened the field of operations at Greenwich by the extensive use of photography and the establishment of large equatoreals.

From History of Astronomy by Forbes, George