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.

---

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

---

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

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

From BBC • Oct. 23, 2020

Nearby is the astronomical clock, originally completed before 1422, but starkly refinished in the Socialist Realist style in 1955.

From New York Times • Jun. 12, 2019

It’s true; there are perhaps a dozen people in the cathedral and most of them are waiting patiently in front of the astronomical clock to the right of the altar.

From Washington Post • Jan. 25, 2018

Celia stops walking as she reaches the open square, halting next to the towering astronomical clock where carved apostles are making their scheduled hourly appearance despite the weather.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern