Old instruments
Meridian Table
Direct answer
Meridian Table is a table organized around quantities at local or reference-meridian passage.
Meridian Table is a meridian-reference table used in historical astronomy, timekeeping, or navigation.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Historical Almanacs & Instruments
- Related
- Calendar Wheel, Canon of Eclipses, Transit Table, Precession Table
Meridian Table is a meridian-reference table used in historical astronomy, timekeeping, or navigation.
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The story behind Meridian Table
Observatories and navigators tabulated meridian circumstances for time determination, position work, and instrument planning.
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Why Meridian Table matters
Meridian Table matters because meridian observations simplify several coordinate and time relationships and were central to observatory routines.
Meridian Table in practice: an example
A table may give a star's expected meridian passage time for scheduling a transit observation.
Where readings of Meridian Table go wrong
Local meridian values cannot be transferred unchanged to another longitude.
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.
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Astronomical Applications Data Services - Authoritative services for positions, rise and set data, phases, seasons, eclipses, and astronomical dates.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Historical Almanacs & Instruments
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
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Common questions
What is Meridian Table?
Meridian Table is a table organized around quantities at local or reference-meridian passage.
What do people get wrong about Meridian Table?
Local meridian values cannot be transferred unchanged to another longitude.
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