astronomical clock

American  

noun

1. a clock indicating or representing the movements of the sun or planets, the phases of the moon, or the sky visible at a given time, used as a means of establishing time or for additional information, as locating celestial bodies or timing their movement.

2. a clock used for observing the apparent time of the meridian passages of heavenly bodies.

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astronomical clock British  

noun

1. a complex clock showing astronomical phenomena, such as the phases of the moon

2. any clock showing sidereal time used in observatories

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Etymology

Origin of astronomical clock

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

The ornate astronomical clock that sits on the ancient Old Town Hall was finished in the 15th.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Inside, the astronomical clock gets all the visitor love, but what stole my attention was the tapestry exhibition.

From Washington Post • Dec. 16, 2021

On the front there is the first astronomical clock in the town hall of Padua, Italy, in 1364.

From BBC • Oct. 23, 2020

Like Prague, Olomouc has a spot on the Unesco World Heritage list, breathtaking Gothic and Baroque buildings and a famous astronomical clock.

From New York Times • Jun. 12, 2019

And with his stopwatch in his hand corrected to the astronomical clock in the shop, Father conceded that the first stroke of the English clock time after time coincided with the hour.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom