Transit Instrument (Noun)
Meaning
A telescope mounted on an axis running east and west and used to time the transit of a celestial body across the meridian.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- The transit instrument at the old observatory was still used to measure the time of celestial bodies passing through the local meridian.
- To determine the precise location of their ship, sailors would use a transit instrument to observe the transit of the sun or stars across the meridian.
- The astronomer carefully aligned the transit instrument to observe the transit of the planet across the celestial equator.
- The octant was used in conjunction with the transit instrument to measure the altitude of celestial bodies as they passed through the meridian.
- The surveyor used a transit instrument to establish a precise north-south line by observing the transit of a star across the meridian.