heliostat

American  

[hee-lee-uh-stat] / ˈhi li əˌstæt /

noun

1. an instrument consisting of a mirror moved by clockwork, for reflecting the sun's rays in a fixed direction.

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heliostat British  

/ ˈhiːlɪəʊˌstæt /

noun

1. an astronomical instrument used to reflect the light of the sun in a constant direction

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Other Word Forms

• heliostatic adjective

Etymology

Origin of heliostat

From the New Latin word heliostata, dating back to 1740–50. See helio-, -stat

Example Sentences

“The new, higher, 750-foot solar power tower allows the heliostat rows to be placed closer together, with the mirrors at a steeper angle,” the company stated in its license application.

From Forbes • Aug. 6, 2011

When I walked into the control room I saw computer screens that tracked every single heliostat in the field as well as other metrics like solar radiation, temperature, and power generation.

From Forbes • Jul. 5, 2011

Each heliostat is controlled by its own photoelectric cells.

From Time Magazine Archive

I’d read that giant solar arrays were positioned throughout the city, along with two heliostat power plants on its outskirts.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

The light was reflected from the heliostat to a plane mirror, M, Fig.

From Experimental Determination of the Velocity of Light Made at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis by Michelson, Albert A.