Astronomy

Astronomy? Find a galaxy of information here.

Upgrade to Britannica Online

Take a tour, New improved britannica online

Imagine Britannica's 32-volume encyclopedia online right there for you, plus full access to articles. Amazing content, written by world experts, that you can cite for projects and assignments.

Click here for Britannica shop

altitude and azimuth

Two coordinates describing the position of an object above Earth in a coordinate system called the altazimuth, or horizon, system, and used in astronomy, gunnery, navigation, surveying, and other fields. Altitude in this sense is expressed as angle of elevation (up to 90°) above the horizon. Azimuth, in astronomical measurement, is the number of degrees clockwise from due north to the point on the horizon directly below the object.

Find more information on altitude and azimuth. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on altitude and azimuth.

  • Britannica, just as colourful as Singapore
  • Singapore is a legendary city. Britannica has a legendary reputation for knowledge. With just a few clicks you can access all the quality information you can trust, online.