Observing
Azimuth
Say it: AZ-ih-muth IPA: /ˈæzɪməθ/ noun
Azimuth: A direction measured around the horizon, usually in degrees clockwise from north.
Stand facing north and turn to your right: east is 90 degrees, south 180 and west 270. Together with altitude, azimuth tells you exactly where to look.
- Example
- The rising Moon's azimuth was about 100 degrees, just south of due east.
- Why astronomers use it
- It is half of the simplest way to point at anything in the sky from a particular place.
- Tiny cosmic connection
- A compass needle points to magnetic north, which can differ from the true north that astronomical azimuths use.
Observatory Observing
Where to check it
- Wikipedia: Azimuth (opens in a new tab)
- Wikipedia: Horizontal coordinate system (opens in a new tab)
Written for Cool Moon Facts in its own words; the sources cover the same idea in more depth.