almucantar

[ al-myoo-kan-ter ]

noun

, Astronomy.

1. a circle on the celestial sphere parallel to the horizon; the locus of all points of a given altitude.

almucantar

/ ˌælməˈkæntə /

noun

1. a circle on the celestial sphere parallel to the horizontal plane
2. an instrument for measuring altitudes

Word History and Origins

Origin of almucantar¹

1350–1400; probably < Medieval Latin almucantarath < Arabic al-muqanṭarāt the almucantars, equivalent to al the + muquanṭarāt sundial, derivative of qanṭarah arch; replacing almicanter, Middle English almicanteras (plural) < Middle French almicantarath < Medieval Latin

Word History and Origins

Origin of almucantar¹

C14: from French, from Arabic almukantarāt sundial

Example Sentences

Two stars which have the same almucantar have the same altitude.

From Project Gutenberg

Curiously enough Dr. Küstner, in his determination of the aberration from a series of observations coincident in time with those of the Almucantar, came upon similar anomalies, and his results, published in 1888, furnish a counterpart to those which I had pointed out in 1885.

From Project Gutenberg

The verification afforded by the recent parallel determinations at Berlin, Prague, Potsdam, and Pulkowa, which show a most surprising and satisfactory accordance, as to the character of the change, in range and periodicity, with the Almucantar results, has led me to make further investigations on the subject.

From Project Gutenberg