fundamental star

American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. one of a number of stars with positions that have been determined accurately and that are used as reference stars for the determination of positions of other celestial objects.

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Example Sentences

The faults of these were so great that the fundamental star, i.e., the one he took by which to measure the rest, Spica, was given a longitude nearly 40 degrees out of the true one.

From Project Gutenberg

He introduced new methods for determining the position of the equinox and the right ascension of a fundamental star.

From Project Gutenberg