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.
Altitude and Azimuth locate an object by height above the horizon and compass bearing.
A scientific orientation to scale, light, or motion; the article supplies the precise definition.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
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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.
Altitude and Azimuth: fact and faith, kept distinct
This is a factual astronomy, calendar, Earth-science, cultural, or historical reference.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.
Altitude and Azimuth at work: an example
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.
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.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Also appears in
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Aliases
- None listed
- Last updated
- 2026-07-15
Locate an object from your horizon
Altitude and Azimuth in a book is one thing; Altitude and Azimuth in your own birth chart is your life. The Oracle casts your real chart and tells you what it means for your love, your work, and your year ahead, in conversation, free.
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Common questions
What is Altitude and Azimuth?
Altitude and Azimuth are local sky coordinates: altitude measures angle above the horizon, while azimuth gives compass direction around the horizon.
How is Altitude and Azimuth used in an almanac?
Use Altitude and Azimuth for live observing directions, always attaching the location and timestamp used for the calculation.
What should I avoid when interpreting Altitude and Azimuth?
State the azimuth convention and do not reuse coordinates calculated for a different place or time.
