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

A → telescope mounting which has its two axes of movement aligned with the → horizon and the → zenith.

→ mounting; → mounting.

Same as → altazimuth mounting.

→ altitude; → azimuth; → mounting.

A method of mounting a telescope in which the polar axis is supported at each end by two piers. The great defect of this type of mounting is its inability to observe the pole.

→ mounting.

A telescope mounting consisting of a polar axis pointed toward the celestial pole, and a declination axis supporting the instrument at right angles to the polar axis.

→ equatorial; → mounting.

A type of → equatorial mounting consisting of a two-pronged fork, which forms the → polar axis, with the → telescope pivoted between the prongs of the fork on a → declination axis.

→ fork; → mounting.

An equatorial mounting in which the declination axis is at the end of the polar axis, which is on top of a pier to raise the telescope to a convenient height.

German, from L. Germanus, maybe of Gaulish (Celtic) origin, perhaps originally meaning "noisy" (cf. O.Ir. garim "to shout") or "neighbor" (cf. O.Ir. gair "neighbor"); → mounting.

Barnešând, → mounting; Âlmâni "German," from Âlmân, from Fr. Allemand "German," from P.Gmc. *Alamanniz, probably meaning "all-man" and denoting a wide alliance of tribes. Alternatively, perhaps meaning "foreign men," cognate with L. alius "the other."

An equatorial mounting in which the upper end of the polar axis frame is made into a horseshoe shape to accommodate the telescope tube.

Horseshoe, from → horse + shoe, from O.E. scoh "shoe," from P.Gmc. *skokhaz (cf. Dan., Swed. sko, O.S. skoh, Du. schoen, O.H.G. scuoh, Ger. Schuh); → mounting.

Barnešând, → mounting; na'l "horseshoe, shoe," loanword from Ar.

The support structure for a telescope that bears the weight of the telescope and allows it to be pointed at a target.

From verb mount, from O.Fr. monter "to go up, climb, mount," from V.L. *montare, from L. mons (genitive montis) → mountain

Barnešând, noun of Barnešândan "to set, to fix, make sit," from bar- "on, upon, up" (Mid.Pers. abar; O.Pers. upariy "above; over, upon, according to;" Av. upairi "above, over," upairi.zəma- "located above the earth;" cf. Gk. hyper- "over, above;" L. super-; O.H.G. ubir "over;" PIE base *uper "over") + nešândan "to place one thing upon another, to fix, insert," from nešastan "to sit;" Mid.Pers. nišastan "to sit;" O.Pers. nišādayam [1 sg.impf.caus.act.] "to sit down, to establish," hadiš- "abode;" Av. nišasiiā [1 sg.subj.acr.] "I shall sit down," from nihad- "to sit down," from ni- "down, below, into," → ni-, + had- "to sit;" PIE base *sed- "to sit;" cf. Skt. sad- "to sit," sidati "sits;" Gk. hezomai "to sit," hedra "seat, chair;" L. sedere "to sit;" O.Ir. suide "seat, sitting;" Welsh sedd "seat;" Lith. sedmi "to sit;" Rus. sad "garden;" Goth. sitan, Ger. sitzen; E. sit.

A form of → English mounting in which the → telescope is suspended inside an inclined fork, supported at both ends, and forming a → right ascension axis parallel to the Earth's → axis. The telescope pivots about the → declination axis inside two parallel forks.

→ yoke; → mounting.