Dictionary term
Altitude and Azimuth
Direct answer
Altitude and Azimuth are local sky coordinates: altitude measures angle above the horizon, while azimuth gives compass direction around the horizon.
Altitude and Azimuth locate an object by height above the horizon and compass bearing.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Also appears in
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Aliases
- None listed
- Last updated
- 2026-07-15
Quick reference
- Use when
- Use Altitude and Azimuth for live observing directions, always attaching the location and timestamp used for the calculation.
- Do not use it for
- State the azimuth convention and do not reuse coordinates calculated for a different place or time.
- Reference category
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Related terms
- Astronomy, Skywatching, Celestial Sphere, Ecliptic
The story behind Altitude and Azimuth
Horizontal coordinates have long served practical observation, navigation, surveying, and instrument alignment.
Altitude and Azimuth in spiritual tradition
These coordinates turn attention toward the real horizon rather than an abstract universal viewpoint.
The Great Almanac frames Altitude and Azimuth with educational restraint. Mystical or symbolic language may be meaningful, but it should not be exaggerated into certainty, panic, or permission to ignore ordinary responsibility.
Altitude and Azimuth in the Bible
This is a factual astronomy, calendar, Earth-science, cultural, or historical reference. It can support wonder at the created order without becoming a claim of fate, worship, or private revelation.
Altitude and Azimuth in numerology
Altitude and Azimuth is not a numerology claim. Any numbers attached to it should retain their ordinary scientific, calendrical, navigational, or historical meaning unless a separate symbolic interpretation is clearly labeled.
Why Altitude and Azimuth matters
These coordinates translate a catalogue position into an instruction an observer can use. They change with time and location as Earth rotates.
Example in a reading: An altitude of 30 degrees and azimuth of 180 degrees places an object about one-third of the way up the southern sky under the common north-through-east convention.
Interpretive caution: State the azimuth convention and do not reuse coordinates calculated for a different place or time.
How Altitude and Azimuth is used in a reading
Use Altitude and Azimuth for live observing directions, always attaching the location and timestamp used for the calculation.
Where interpretation stops
Altitude and Azimuth is presented as sourced astronomy, calendrical, Earth-science, cultural, or instrument-history reference. Definitions should distinguish measured phenomena from civil convention and historical interpretation, preserve location and time dependencies, and avoid turning factual sky data into a deterministic personal claim.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Astronomical Information Center - Official index for time, calendars, seasons, coordinates, and observable sky phenomena.
- NASA Science: Skywatching FAQ - NASA guidance on observing stars, planets, constellations, and the changing night sky.
The page starts with a direct definition, then separates use, example, caution, spiritual meaning, and historical context. For astrology, occult, demonology, curse, and spiritual warfare terms, the editorial rule is to explain the term without making fear-based, fatalistic, medical, legal, financial, or ritual-instruction claims.
Continue learning
Continue from the definition into current sky positions, space weather, and the live collective celestial view.
Open Worldwide WatchRelated terms
These related entries help place Altitude and Azimuth inside a wider reference cluster instead of leaving it as a standalone keyword.
