meridian astronomy

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | 500 words | Copyright

meridian astronomy The measurement of positions of celestial objects based on observation of the times of their transit across the meridian and of their zenith distance at those times. The intention is to obtain star positions which are self-consistent over large areas of sky, but accuracy is limited by the thermal and mechanical instability of the instrument, and uncertainty in the calculation of the effect of atmospheric refraction. See also Meridian Circle; Transit Circle; Transit Instrument.

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