What is the simplest explanation of Azimuth and zenith?
In: 6
Azimuth is like a bowl hair cut. You measure from North and cut and angle clockwise around the hair. Cutting the full circle gives you the bowl haircut.
Zenith is like a mohawk haircut. You take the angle from the very top of the mohawk sticking straight up from your head and measure down from there.
Azimuth is 360 degrees along the horizon, zero at north, 90 at east, 180 at south, 270 at west, back to 360/0 at north again. Altitude is 0-90 degrees, from horizon to overhead.
Zenith is 90 degrees up from the horizon, directly overhead. Nadir is opposite of zenith, it’s directly beneath your feet.
Your hand at arms length is about 10 degrees across. You can guesstimate 60 degrees azimuth, 40 degrees elevation by facing north, then turning clockwise 6 hands, then 4 hands up.
Azimuth is very similar to a compass. When you are facing north you are looking at 0°. When you face east you are looking at 90°. South is 180°, west is 270°. Every slight turn to the right azimuth increases, every turn to the left and the azimuth decreases.
Zenith is similar but Instead of rotating horizontally you rotate vertically. When you look straight up that is 0°. As you start to look down the zenith increases. 90° is when looking straight ahead and 180° is as if you were staring at your feet.
Azimuths are used a lot in land surveying. Property deeds will use a northing and wasting coordinate starting location and use azimuths to locate the rest of the corners.
For example “start at a point located at northing 100 and easting 100. Travel at 35° for 50feet. Then travel at 175° for 200feet”
ELI5
Stand outside in a big field. Face due north. You’re looking at Azimuth zero.
Now turn around and face the other direction. You’re looking at Azimuth 180.
**Azimuth is “which way you’re turned to look”**
Now .. Look straight at the horizon. Straight ahead. That’s zenith zero.
Now, don’t move side to side, but tilt your head up, like you’re looking at the top of a tall tall building on the horizon. That might be zenith 20.
Now, don’t move side to side, but tilt your head up MORE, like almost as far as your neck will go! That might be zenith 80.
Looking straight up is zenith 90.
**Zenith is how far up in the sky you’re looking**
I may have that zenith backwards, not sure. Zero may be straight up and 90 may be straight ahead. But you get the idea.
What is the simplest explanation of Azimuth and zenith?
In: 6
Azimuth is like a bowl hair cut. You measure from North and cut and angle clockwise around the hair. Cutting the full circle gives you the bowl haircut.
Zenith is like a mohawk haircut. You take the angle from the very top of the mohawk sticking straight up from your head and measure down from there.
Azimuth is 360 degrees along the horizon, zero at north, 90 at east, 180 at south, 270 at west, back to 360/0 at north again. Altitude is 0-90 degrees, from horizon to overhead.
Zenith is 90 degrees up from the horizon, directly overhead. Nadir is opposite of zenith, it’s directly beneath your feet.
Your hand at arms length is about 10 degrees across. You can guesstimate 60 degrees azimuth, 40 degrees elevation by facing north, then turning clockwise 6 hands, then 4 hands up.
Azimuth is very similar to a compass. When you are facing north you are looking at 0°. When you face east you are looking at 90°. South is 180°, west is 270°. Every slight turn to the right azimuth increases, every turn to the left and the azimuth decreases.
Zenith is similar but Instead of rotating horizontally you rotate vertically. When you look straight up that is 0°. As you start to look down the zenith increases. 90° is when looking straight ahead and 180° is as if you were staring at your feet.
Azimuths are used a lot in land surveying. Property deeds will use a northing and wasting coordinate starting location and use azimuths to locate the rest of the corners.
For example “start at a point located at northing 100 and easting 100. Travel at 35° for 50feet. Then travel at 175° for 200feet”
ELI5
Stand outside in a big field. Face due north. You’re looking at Azimuth zero.
Now turn around and face the other direction. You’re looking at Azimuth 180.
**Azimuth is “which way you’re turned to look”**
Now .. Look straight at the horizon. Straight ahead. That’s zenith zero.
Now, don’t move side to side, but tilt your head up, like you’re looking at the top of a tall tall building on the horizon. That might be zenith 20.
Now, don’t move side to side, but tilt your head up MORE, like almost as far as your neck will go! That might be zenith 80.
Looking straight up is zenith 90.
**Zenith is how far up in the sky you’re looking**
I may have that zenith backwards, not sure. Zero may be straight up and 90 may be straight ahead. But you get the idea.
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