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In astronomy, the altitude in the horizontal coordinate system and the zenith angle are complementary angles, with the horizon perpendicular to the zenith. 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 horizontal coordinate system is a celestial coordinate system that uses the observer's local horizon as the fundamental plane to define two angles of a spherical coordinate system: altitude and azimuth. Therefore, the horizontal coordinate system is sometimes called the az/el system, [1] the alt/az system, or the alt-azimuth system, among
[1] height: "distance of a point from a chosen reference surface measured upward along a line perpendicular to that surface"; [1] ISO 6709 (2008 version) makes the following additional definition: altitude: "height where the chosen reference surface is mean sea level" [1] The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) offers similar ...
The solar azimuth angle is the azimuth (horizontal angle with respect to north) of the Sun's position. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] This horizontal coordinate defines the Sun 's relative direction along the local horizon , whereas the solar zenith angle (or its complementary angle solar elevation ) defines the Sun's apparent altitude .
The elevation is the signed angle from the x-y reference plane to the radial line segment OP, where positive angles are designated as upward, towards the zenith reference. Elevation is 90 degrees (= π / 2 radians) minus inclination. Thus, if the inclination is 60 degrees (= π / 3 radians), then the elevation is 30 degrees ...
His measured altitude would be 70°, and subtracting this from 90° gives a 20° zenith distance, which in turn is his latitude. In short, the zenith distance of a celestial object at meridian altitude is the difference in latitude between it and the observer.
Geodetic latitude and geocentric latitude have different definitions. Geodetic latitude is defined as the angle between the equatorial plane and the surface normal at a point on the ellipsoid, whereas geocentric latitude is defined as the angle between the equatorial plane and a radial line connecting the centre of the ellipsoid to a point on the surface (see figure).
The angle of a celestial body with the zenith is the zenith angle (in astronomy, commonly referred to as the zenith distance).A body's angular position can also be given in terms of altitude, the angle above the geometric horizon; the altitude and the zenith angle are thus related by =.