altitude-azimuth mounting
altitude-azimuth mounting
[¦al·tə‚tüd ′az·ə·məth ‚mau̇nt·iŋ] (engineering)
A two-axis telescope mounting in which the azimuth of the direction in which the telescope is pointed is determined by rotation about a vertical axis and the corresponding altitude is determined by rotation about a horizontal axis; computer-controlled motors must move the telescope in both altitude and azimuth to compensate for the earth's rotation. Also known as alt-azimuth mounting.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.