Azimuth

From Free net encyclopedia

Azimuth is the horizontal component of a direction (compass direction), measured around the horizon usually from North toward the East, i.e. clockwise and is usually measured in degrees. It may less commonly be measured from the South point. Azimuth is often, some consider incorrectly, referred to as a bearing.

From North		From South
North	0° or 360°	South	0° or 360°
East	90°	West	90°
South	180°	North	180°
West	270°	East	270°

In the horizontal coordinate system (also used in celestial navigation and satellite dish installation) azimuth is one of the two coordinates. The other is altitude (sometimes called elevation above the horizon). See also: sat finder.

In three-dimensional polar coordinate systems, the azimuth of a point is the angle between the positive x-axis and the projection of a vector to the point onto the xy-plane.

In aviation, azimuth is used to determine headings or the direction in which to fly.

For magnetic tape drives, azimuth refers to the angle between the tape head(s) and the tape medium.

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