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Azimuth

An azimuth (/ˈæzɪməθ/ (listen); from Arabic اَلسُّمُوت‎ as-sumūt, “the directions”, the plural form of the Arabic noun السَّمْت as-samt, meaning 'the direction') is an angular measurement in a spherical coordinate system. The vector from an observer (origin) to a point of interest is projected perpendicularly onto a reference plane; the angle between the projected vector and a reference vector on the reference plane is called the azimuth. In land navigation, azimuth is usually denoted alpha, α, and defined as a horizontal angle measured clockwise from a north base line or meridian. Azimuth has also been more generally defined as a horizontal angle measured clockwise from any fixed reference plane or easily established base direction line.The cartographical azimuth (in decimal degrees) can be calculated when the coordinates of 2 points are known in a flat plane (cartographical coordinates):We are standing at latitude φ 1 {displaystyle varphi _{1}}  , longitude zero; we want to find the azimuth from our viewpoint to Point 2 at latitude φ 2 {displaystyle varphi _{2}}  , longitude L (positive eastward). We can get a fair approximation by assuming the Earth is a sphere, in which case the azimuth α is given byThere is a wide variety of azimuthal map projections. They all have the property that directions (the azimuths) from a central point are preserved. Some navigation systems use south as the reference plane. However, any direction can serve as the plane of reference, as long as it is clearly defined for everyone using that system.Used in celestial navigation, an azimuth is the direction of a celestial body from the observer. In astronomy, an azimuth is sometimes referred to as a bearing. In modern astronomy azimuth is nearly always measured from the north.(The article on coordinate systems, for example, uses a convention measuring from the south.) In former times, it was common to refer to azimuth from the south, as it was then zero at the same time that the hour angle of a star was zero. This assumes, however, that the star (upper) culminates in the south, which is only true if the star's declination is less than (i.e. further south than) the observer's latitude.If, instead of measuring from and along the horizon, the angles are measured from and along the celestial equator, the angles are called right ascension if referenced to the Vernal Equinox, or hour angle if referenced to the celestial meridian.For magnetic tape drives, azimuth refers to the angle between the tape head(s) and tape.The word azimuth is in all European languages today. It originates from medieval Arabic al-sumūt, pronounced as-sumūt in Arabic, meaning 'the directions' (plural of Arabic al-samt = 'the direction'). The Arabic word entered late medieval Latin in an astronomy context and in particular in the use of the Arabic version of the astrolabe astronomy instrument. The word's first record in English is in the 1390s in Treatise on the Astrolabe by Geoffrey Chaucer. The first known record in any Western language is in Spanish in the 1270s in an astronomy book that was largely derived from Arabic sources, the Libros del saber de astronomía commissioned by King Alfonso X of Castile.

[ "Astronomy", "Geometry", "Acoustics", "Optics", "Hour angle", "Azimuthal equidistant projection", "Ex-meridian", "Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection", "Solar azimuth angle" ]
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