the.com/azimuth
the compass angle that tells you which way, even when you've lost up and down
means The horizontal angle of a direction measured clockwise from a reference point, usually north, around the observer's horizon.
from From Arabic 'as-sumut,' the plural of 'as-samt' meaning 'the way' or 'the direction' — the same root that gives us 'zenith.' It traveled into medieval Latin and Old French with the great wave of Arabic astronomy, when star-charts and astrolabes carried these words westward; the final 'th' is a quirk of how the term was transcribed along the way.
- true reference
- Measured clockwise from north along the horizon
- sky use
- Astronomers pair it with altitude to pin stars
- weapon roots
- Artillery and missiles aim by azimuth degrees
- arabic origin
- From as-sumut, meaning the directions or paths
- satellite dishes
- Mounted by azimuth to lock onto orbit
qibla direction mecca — islamic prayer orientation: 292° azimuth from new york city to mecca
polaris celestial north — navigation reference: azimuth 0° (true north) marked by polaris star in northern hemisphere
great circle routes aviation — flight paths like nyc to tokyo follow changing azimuths along earth's surface for shortest distance