Culmination (redirected from culminations)

culmination [kəl·mə′nā·shən]

(astronomy)

The position of a heavenly body when at highest apparent altitude.

For a heavenly body which is continually above the horizon, the position of lowest apparent altitude.

(geology)

A high point on the axis of a fold.

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Culmination 

the passage of a celestial body, in its apparent diurnal motion, across the celestial meridian. In the earth’s northern hemisphere, at upper culmination the celestial body passes between the north celestial pole and the south point and is at maximum altitude (above the horizon). At lower culmination the celestial body crosses the meridian to the north of the celestial pole and is at minimum altitude. Both culminations can be observed for those stars whose entire diurnal path across the sky is visible (from a given place); such stars are called nonsetting. In the opposite case, lower culmination occurs below the horizon and the stars are called setting.