noun
1
(also altazimuth mount, altazimuth 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.’
- ‘While the altitude axis of an altazimuth mount may bend, the bending is constant and can be compensated by realignment of the tube or optics.’
- ‘However, in recent years computerized altazimuth mounts have appeared which use motors to automatically compensate for the sky's motion, though these are generally a great deal more expensive.’
- 1.1A 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.’
- ‘Another highly entertaining presentation was by Dennis di Cicco of Sky and Telescope magazine as he described his construction of a 16-inch ‘sidewalk’ altazimuth telescope.’
- ‘Since altazimuth telescope mounts usually have a limit in their ability to track high elevation passes through culmination, especially at near-zenith transits because of the large azimuth swings required, the mount can start falling behind.’
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
Are You Learning English? Here Are Our Top English Tips