noun
- Circles on the celestial sphere parallel to the horizon, used in astronomy and navigation to measure the altitude of celestial objects.
Usage: astronomy; navigation; plural of almucantar
Examples
- Astronomers use almucantars to map the positions of stars at different altitudes above the horizon.
- The almucantar system divides the sky into horizontal bands useful for celestial observations.
- Navigation charts often include almucantars to help sailors determine their latitude.
- Each almucantar represents a constant altitude angle from the observer's location.