An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

The time based upon → Earth’s rotation with respect to the stars, with the → sidereal day as the unit of measurement. At the moment when the → vernal equinox crosses the → meridian in → upper culmination, sidereal time is equal to zero hours for that observing position. The → hour angle of the vernal equinox is equal to sidereal time.

See also: → sidereal; → time.