Old instruments
Transit Table
Direct answer
Transit Table is a table predicting when selected bodies cross a meridian or another defined reference line.
Transit Table is a passage-time table used in historical astronomy, timekeeping, or navigation.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Historical Almanacs & Instruments
- Related
- Canon of Eclipses, Meridian Table, Precession Table, Declination Table
Transit Table is a passage-time table used in historical astronomy, timekeeping, or navigation.
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The story behind Transit Table
Transit predictions supported time services, star catalogues, navigation, and observatory scheduling.
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The Book of the Sky
How people learned to read the sky, from Babylon to the day you were born.
Why Transit Table matters
Transit Table matters because it lets an observer prepare an instrument before a brief alignment event.
Transit Table in practice: an example
An observatory may list a clock star's meridian transit to prepare a timing observation.
Where readings of Transit Table go wrong
It is a mistake to confuse meridian transit with a planetary transit across the Sun.
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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More in Historical Almanacs & Instruments
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- Lunar Distance Method
- Mural Quadrant
- Planisphere
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Common questions
What is Transit Table?
Transit Table is a table predicting when selected bodies cross a meridian or another defined reference line.
What do people get wrong about Transit Table?
It is a mistake to confuse meridian transit with a planetary transit across the Sun.
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