An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

The act of culminating or the instant at which a celestial object reaches its highest altitude above the horizon by crossing the observer's meridian. → upper culmination; → lower culmination.

Verbal noun of → culminate.

Bâlest, from Mid.Pers. bâlist "culmination point of a star; highest, summit," from bâlây "high" + -ist superlative suffix, Av. barəzišta- "highest," from barəz- "high, mount" (Skt. bhrant- "high," O.E. burg, burh "castle, fortified place," from P.Gmc. *burgs "fortress," Ger. Burg "castle," Goth. baurgs "city," E. burg, borough, Fr. bourgeois, bourgeoisie, faubourg; PIE base *bhergh- "high") + -išta- superlative suffix (Skt. -istha-, Gk. -istos, O.H.G. -isto, -osto, O.E. -st, -est, -ost).

The meridian transit of a star between the celestial pole and the north point of the horizon. Same as → lower culmination. → superior culmination.

→ inferior; → culmination.

The instant of culmination when the star passes between the pole and the horizon, having an hour angle of 12h. Lower culmination for non-circumpolar objects occur below the horizon and is thus unobservable. Same as → inferior culmination. See also → upper culmination.

→ lower; → culmination.

The meridian transit of a star between the celestial pole and the south point of the horizon. Same as → upper culmination. → inferior culmination.

→ superior; → culmination.

Same as → superior culmination.

→ upper; → culmination.