The observer’s meridian is a great circle on the celestial sphere that passes through the north and south points of the horizon as well as through the zenith of the observer. At culmination, the object contacts the upper meridian and reaches its highest point in the sky. On any given (sidereal) day/night, a celestial object will appear to drift across, or transit, the observer's upper meridian as Earth rotates, since the meridian is fixed to the local horizon. For a location not at a geographical pole there is a unique plane in this axial-pencil through that location. The term meridian comes from the Latin meridies, which means both "midday" and "south", as the celestial equator appears to tilt southward from the Northern Hemisphere. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Meridian_(astronomy)&oldid=970746997, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 2 August 2020, at 03:54. Meridians, celestial and terrestrial, are determined by the axial-pencil of planes passing through the axis of Earth's rotation. There are several ways to divide the meridian into semicircles. Study Astronomy Online at Swinburne University. His celestial meridian is a great circle passing through his zenith and the poles. In astronomy, the meridian is the great circle passing through the celestial poles, as well as the zenith and nadir of an observer's location. All material is © Swinburne University of Technology except where indicated. Consequently, it contains also the north and south points on the horizon, and it is perpendicular to the celestial equator and horizon. The term meridian comes from the Latin meridies, which means both "midday" and "south", as the celestial equator appears to tilt southward from the Northern Hemisphere. Restricting the telescope to motion only in the meridian provides an added degree of stability, but…. In observational astronomy, culmination is the instant of time of the transit of a celestial object (the Sun, the Moon, a planet, a star, constellation or a deep-sky object) across the observer's local meridian. His astronomical horizon meets the celestial sphere at infinity. In astronomy, the meridian is the great circle passing through the celestial poles, as well as the zenith and nadir of an observer's location. The observer's upper meridian passes through the zenith while the lower meridian passes through the nadir.

In the horizontal coordinate system, the observer's meridian is divided into halves terminated by the horizon's north and south points. More exactly, sidereal time is the angle, measured along the celestial equator, from the observer's meridian to the great circle that passes through the March equinox and both celestial poles, and is usually expressed in hours, minutes, and seconds. Consequently, it contains also the north and south points on the horizon, and it is perpendicular to the celestial equator and horizon. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Another way, the meridian is divided into the local meridian, the semicircle that contains the observer's zenith and both celestial poles, and the opposite semicircle, which contains the nadir and both poles. Consequently, it contains also the north and south points on the horizon, and it is perpendicular to the celestial equator and horizon. An object's right ascension and the local sidereal time can be used to determine the time of its culmination (see hour angle). There are several ways to divide the meridian into semicircles. https://www.britannica.com/science/celestial-meridian, telescope: Astronomical transit instruments. the point directly overhead) with the north and south celestial poles. The astronomical meridian is also determined by the zenith, and is defined as a circle on the celestial sphere that passes through the zenith, nadir, and the celestial poles.
The observer’s meridian is a great circle on the celestial sphere that passes through the north and south points of the horizon as well as through the zenith of the observer. In astronomy, the meridian is the great circle passing through the celestial poles, as well as the zenith and nadir of an observer's location. For a location not at a geographical pole there is a unique plane in this axial-pencil through that location. The hour angle of a point is the angle between two planes: one containing Earth's axis and the zenith (the meridian plane), and the other containing Earth's axis and the given point (the hour circle passing through the point). Fundamental plane (spherical coordinates). The intersection of this plane with Earth' surface is the geographical meridian, and the intersection of the plane with the celestial sphere is the celestial meridian for that location and time. The astronomical meridian is also determined by the zenith, and is defined as a circle on the celestial sphere that passes through the zenith, nadir, and the celestial poles.


Berlin Average Snowfallastros Espn, Kids' Choice Awards Winners, Dolly Parton Covers Collective Soul, Lombardi Trophy Png, Rock Your Socks Wdsd, Donald Trump Birth Chart, How To Fold Origami Yoda From The Book, The Hunters Movie 2019, How Many World Series Have The Giants Won, The Talk Of The Town Book, Man On Fire Book Pdf, Donald Trump Birth Chart, Noi Albínói Streaming, Another Word For Old Things, Dwell In The House Of The Lord Song, The Atlas Of Middle-earth Amazon, Josh Gracin 2020, Ipad Mini 2 32gb Price In Uae, Replay Song, Indivisible Review, Liverpool U23 Vs Napoli, Snowflake Designer, Crabbing Fort Morgan Al, Types Of Computer Chips, How To Raise Your Value In A Relationship, Total Wireless Reviews, Bong Joon-ho Net Worth, John Alderton, Kill Zone 2 Streaming, In The Basement (2014 Watch Online), Education Never Stops, Disclosure Energy Album, Maple Leaf Foods Winnipeg, Coming Home For The Holidays, The Valley Hollywood, Doordash Ipo Stock Price, Forza 2020, The Other Mrs Netflix Cast, Eureka Carts Batch Number, Pathfinder 2e Advanced Player's Guide Pdf, Unit 731 Location, Clara Petacci Interesting Facts, Frank O'connor Actor, Real Max Belfort, Mickey Mantle Disease, Adventures In Wonderland Game, Aunt Agatha Game, Jidaigeki Games, Hearing Whispering Voices At Night, Ipad Air (3rd Generation Case Otterbox), Goal Zero Yeti 6000x, Eks Vs Ecs, Hackers Movie List, Tom And Jerry: The Magic Ring Away, Sqürl Vinyl, Phillies Food Near Me, Patricia Noah Shot, Monsters University Google Drive Mkv, Map Legend Antonym, Tarantula Levels Hypixel Skyblock, Rob Houchen Wikipedia, Salaam Bombay English Subtitles,