noun
definition
A telescope or surveying instrument that has a mount permitting both horizontal and vertical rotation
Examples of altazimuth in a Sentence
In 1847 an altazimuth was erected, designed by Airy to enable observations of the moon to be made not only on the meridian, but whenever she might be visible.
In September 1839 a 3-foot speculum was finished and mounted on an altazimuth stand similar to Herschel's; but, though the definition of the images was good (except that the diffraction at the joints of the speculum caused minute rays in the case of a very bright star), and its peculiar skeleton form allowed the speculum to follow atmospheric changes of temperature very quickly, Lord Rosse decided to cast a solid 3-foot speculum.
Cassini, moreover, set up an altazimuth in 1678, and employed from about 1682 a " parallactic machine," provided with clockwork to enable it to follow the diurnal motion.
The simple altazimuth mount allows vertical and horizontal movements for quick astro and terrestrial pointing.
For, on account of the diurnal motion, the direction of the axis of the telescope when pointed to a star is always changing, so that, to follow a star with an altazimuth mounting, the observer requires to move continuously the two handles which give slow motion in altitude and azimuth.