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.