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azimuth - n., the horizontal angle between a reference point on the horizon and the vertical circle containing a celestial object.
One of two coordinates marking the position of something in the sky, the other being declination (angular altitude). Azimuth is always measured clockwise around the horizon -- in astronomy, from due south, while in navigation from due north. So east has an azimuth of 270° if you're an stargazer and 90° if you're a sailor. From Medieval Latin, from Arabic as-sumūt, the ways, from the plural of samt, way, itself from Classical Latin sēmita, path. See? It's all about circles.
---L.
One of two coordinates marking the position of something in the sky, the other being declination (angular altitude). Azimuth is always measured clockwise around the horizon -- in astronomy, from due south, while in navigation from due north. So east has an azimuth of 270° if you're an stargazer and 90° if you're a sailor. From Medieval Latin, from Arabic as-sumūt, the ways, from the plural of samt, way, itself from Classical Latin sēmita, path. See? It's all about circles.
---L.
