altazimuth
/alˈtazɪməθ
/noun
1 (also altazimuth mount or mounting) Astronomy A telescope mounting that moves in azimuth (about a vertical axis) and in altitude (about a horizontal axis). Compare with equatorial mount.The Dobsonian design is the most popular type of altazimuth mounting used on astronomical telescopes....
- Scopes with altazimuth mounts are easy to set up and use, and require no special expertise to use properly.
- Even with this disadvantage, the altazimuth mounting will be the primary mounting for very large telescopes to be constructed in the future.
1.1 (also altazimuth telescope) A telescope on an altazimuth mounting.Of course, everything below about 80 degrees altitude was very easy to find; all altazimuth telescopes have this quirk....
- A lot of my variables are near bright stars or distinctive star patterns; thus easy to find with my noncomputerized altazimuth telescope or binoculars.
- All are fully-steerable altazimuth telescopes capable of pointing and tracking over zenith angles from 1 to 60 degrees.
2A surveying instrument for measuring vertical and horizontal angles, resembling a theodolite but larger and more precise.This is an altazimuth theodolite of an improved pattern now used on the Ordnance Survey.
Origin
Mid 19th century: blend of altitude and azimuth.