- almucantar
- noun /ælməˈkæntə/a small circle on the celestial sphere, parallel to the horizon, that is used in astronomy and navigation to show altitude of a star or any other heavenly body.
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almucantar
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Almucantar — hat Seth C. Chandler (in Cambridge, Mass., U.S.) ein von ihm 1879 konstruiertes, zur Beobachtung gleicher Sternhöhen bestimmtes Instrument genannt. Auf einer zentralen vertikalen Säule, um die der ganze Oberteil des Instruments drehbar ist, ruht… … Lexikon der gesamten Technik
Almucantar — Al mu*can tar, n. [F. almucantarat, almicantarat, ultimately fr. Ar. al muqantar[=a]t, pl., fr. qantara to bend, arch.] (Astron.) A small circle of the sphere parallel to the horizon; a circle or parallel of altitude. Two stars which have the… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Almucantar — An Almucantar, also spelled almucantarat or almacantara, is a circle on the celestial sphere parallel to the horizon. Two stars that lie the same almucantar have the same altitude.Almucantar staffAn almucantar staff is an instrument chiefly used… … Wikipedia
almucantar — /al myooh kan teuhr/, n. Astron. a circle on the celestial sphere parallel to the horizon; the locus of all points of a given altitude. Also called parallel of altitude. [1350 1400; prob. < ML almucantarath < Ar al muqantarat the almucantars,… … Universalium
almucantar — [ˌalmə kantə] noun Astronomy 1》 a circle on the celestial sphere parallel to the horizon. 2》 a telescope mounted on a float resting on mercury, used to determine stellar altitude and azimuth. Origin ME: from med. L. almucantarath or obs. Fr.… … English new terms dictionary
almucantar — al·mu·can·tar … English syllables
almucantar — /ælmjəˈkæntə/ (say almyuh kantuh) noun 1. a circle of altitude, parallel to the horizontal plane. 2. an instrument for measuring altitudes and azimuths. Also, almacantar. {Middle French almucantarat, from Arabic qanṭarah bridge} …
almucantar — n. Astronomy, circle of celestial sphere parallel with horizon; parallel of altitude; telescope that, in rotating, sweeps out curves of this kind … Dictionary of difficult words
almucantar — n. (also almacantar) Astron. a line of constant altitude above the horizon. Etymology: ME f. med.L almucantarath or F almucantara etc., f. Arab. almukantarat sundial f. kantara arch … Useful english dictionary
almucantar staff — noun : an ancient instrument having an arc of 15 degrees and used at sea to take observations of the sun s amplitude and to find the variation of the compass … Useful english dictionary
