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

To arrange in a line or so as to be parallel; to adjust to produce a proper relationship or orientation.

M.Fr. aligner, from O.Fr. aligner, from à "to" + ligner "to line," from L. lineare, from linea "linen thread, string, line;" → line.

Âxatidan, from â- intesive and nuance prefix + xat, → line, + infinitive suffix -idan.

Setting the axis of a telescope parallel to prime directions. In equatorial mounting, they are made parallel with the Earth's axis of rotation and the equator respectively. → collimation.

→ align; → telescope.

Arranged in a → straight line.

Past participle of → align.

A magnetic field whose lines of force are oriented along a particular direction or by a particular manner (axially, vertically; randomly, properly, etc.)

→ aligned; → magnetic field.

The fact of being in line or bringing into line.

Verbal noun of → align; → -ment.

→ Deviation of the chain of → optical components from the optimum → alignment in an instrument which leads to → loss of → light and poor → image.

→ mis-; → alignment.

The process or the state of making a → telescope's → polar axis → parallel to the → Earth's → rotation axis, that is with the → true North or → South  → celestial pole. When this is accomplished, the sky's motion can be cancelled out simply by turning the axis (either by hand or with a motor → drive) at the same rate as the rotation of the Earth, but in the opposite direction.

→ polar; → alignment.