meridian circle

American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. a transit instrument provided with a graduated vertical scale, used to measure the declinations of heavenly bodies and to determine the time of meridian transits.

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meridian circle British  

noun

1. an instrument used in astronomy for determining the declination and right ascension of stars. It consists of a telescope attached to a graduated circle

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Etymology

Origin of meridian circle

First recorded in 1540–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

meridian circle

The method of original graduation discovered by Edward Troughton is fully described in the Philosophical Transactions for 1809, as employed by himself to divide a meridian circle of 4 ft. radius.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 3 "Gordon, Lord George" to "Grasses" by Various

Its eastern arm is an apartment 22 by 24 feet, in which the meridian circle is to be placed.

From The Uses of Astronomy An Oration Delivered at Albany on the 28th of July, 1856 by Edward Everett

Contrasted with the ideal instrument, the finest meridian circle is little more than a mass of imperfections.

From The Story of the Heavens by Sir Robert S. (Robert Stawell) Ball

By an alliance between the astronomer and the mathematician it is possible to measure the discrepancies between the actual meridian circle and the instrument that is ideally perfect.

From The Story of the Heavens by Sir Robert S. (Robert Stawell) Ball

The points of contact thus ascertained were marked with faint dots, and the meridian circle thereby divided into 256 very nearly equal parts.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 3 "Gordon, Lord George" to "Grasses" by Various