Dictionary term
Greenwich Hour Angle
Direct answer
Greenwich Hour Angle is the angular distance measured westward from the Greenwich meridian to a body's hour circle.
Greenwich Hour Angle is a Greenwich-referenced celestial angle used in historical astronomy, timekeeping, or navigation.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Historical Almanacs & Instruments
- Also appears in
- Historical Almanacs & Instruments
- Aliases
- None listed
- Last updated
- 2026-07-16
Quick reference
- Use when
- Use Greenwich Hour Angle by interpolating the correct date and UTC entry and applying increments exactly as the almanac directs.
- Do not use it for
- Using the wrong civil date near midnight or confusing Aries GHA with a body value causes large errors.
- Reference category
- Historical Almanacs & Instruments
- Related terms
- Running Fix, Local Hour Angle, Assumed Position, Observed Altitude
The story behind Greenwich Hour Angle
Greenwich hour angle became a compact standard coordinate in nautical almanacs and sight reduction.
Greenwich Hour Angle in spiritual tradition
Greenwich Hour Angle rewards careful observation, explicit assumptions, and humility about the limits of every model or measurement.
The Great Almanac frames Greenwich Hour Angle 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.
Greenwich Hour Angle in the Bible
This is a factual history-of-science, instrument, timekeeping, or navigation reference. It may support wonder and disciplined attention without becoming a claim of fate, worship, or private revelation.
Greenwich Hour Angle in numerology
Greenwich Hour Angle 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 Greenwich Hour Angle matters
Greenwich Hour Angle matters because it supplies the almanac bridge between a body's celestial position and terrestrial longitude.
Example in a reading: A navigator looks up the Sun's hourly GHA and adds the minute-and-second increment for the sight time.
Interpretive caution: Using the wrong civil date near midnight or confusing Aries GHA with a body value causes large errors.
How Greenwich Hour Angle is used in a reading
Use Greenwich Hour Angle by interpolating the correct date and UTC entry and applying increments exactly as the almanac directs.
Where interpretation stops
Greenwich Hour Angle 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 and Navigational Almanacs - Official descriptions of the Astronomical Almanac, Nautical Almanac, and their tabular data.
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: The American Practical Navigator - Official modern reference for navigation principles, celestial observations, sight reduction, and navigational tables.
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.
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These related entries help place Greenwich Hour Angle inside a wider reference cluster instead of leaving it as a standalone keyword.
