The azimuth of the North Celestial Pole is zero ... it's due North.
The altitude of the North Celestial Pole is the same as your north latitude.
In mid-town Manhattan, that's about 42.6 degrees.
There are a number of ways to describe locations or positions. One of these is to describe the direction toward an object in degrees; this is the "azimuth". For objects in the sky, we must also know the angular elevation above the horizon, or "altitude angle". This is usually shortened to "altitude". By specifying the azimuth angle and altitude angle, we can describe precisely the direction of any object in the sky.
The point on the horizon that is due west has an altitude of zero and an azimuth of 270 degrees.
The astrolabe needs to be lined up with north so that the user can accurately measure the altitude of a celestial object. By aligning the astrolabe with north, the user can ensure that the measurements taken are correctly referenced against the horizon and celestial coordinates.
This is probably about the "horizon coordinate system". Or, it's sometimes called the horizontal coordinate system. The system uses "altitude" and "azimuth" as coordinates. The azimuth is normally measured from due North as zero. So, that's the "three reference points", probably. Altitude is the angular height of a star above the horizon. Azimuth is the angle of a star measured along the horizon, from the pole.
In Toronto, the azimuth of the Big Dipper varies throughout the year but is generally between 300 to 340 degrees, which means it is northwest to north-northwest. The altitude of the Big Dipper in Toronto is typically around 40 to 50 degrees above the horizon.
Azimuth is the horizontal angular distance measured clockwise from true north, while altitude is the vertical angular distance above the horizon. Together, these coordinates help locate a star's position in the sky.
There are a number of ways to describe locations or positions. One of these is to describe the direction toward an object in degrees; this is the "azimuth". For objects in the sky, we must also know the angular elevation above the horizon, or "altitude angle". This is usually shortened to "altitude". By specifying the azimuth angle and altitude angle, we can describe precisely the direction of any object in the sky.
The point on the horizon that is due west has an altitude of zero and an azimuth of 270 degrees.
Azimuth is the angle, typically using true north as zero degrees to an object from viewers location. An altitude (if expressed as an elevation angle from the viewer) provides a line of sight to an object in space. If you were standing at a point and facing true north and there was an airplane flying at 20,000 ft and you knew the elevation angle you could compute the range and have an (X,Y,Z) location for the object.
This is probably about the "horizon coordinate system". Or, it's sometimes called the horizontal coordinate system. The system uses "altitude" and "azimuth" as coordinates. The azimuth is normally measured from due North as zero. So, that's the "three reference points", probably. Altitude is the angular height of a star above the horizon. Azimuth is the angle of a star measured along the horizon, from the pole.
This is probably about the "horizon coordinate system". Or, it's sometimes called the horizontal coordinate system. The system uses "altitude" and "azimuth" as coordinates. The azimuth is normally measured from due North as zero. So, that's the "three reference points", probably. Altitude is the angular height of a star above the horizon. Azimuth is the angle of a star measured along the horizon, from the pole.
This is probably about the "horizon coordinate system". Or, it's sometimes called the horizontal coordinate system. The system uses "altitude" and "azimuth" as coordinates. The azimuth is normally measured from due North as zero. So, that's the "three reference points", probably. Altitude is the angular height of a star above the horizon. Azimuth is the angle of a star measured along the horizon, from the pole.
The astrolabe needs to be lined up with north so that the user can accurately measure the altitude of a celestial object. By aligning the astrolabe with north, the user can ensure that the measurements taken are correctly referenced against the horizon and celestial coordinates.
This is probably about the "horizon coordinate system". Or, it's sometimes called the horizontal coordinate system. The system uses "altitude" and "azimuth" as coordinates. The azimuth is normally measured from due North as zero. So, that's the "three reference points", probably. Altitude is the angular height of a star above the horizon. Azimuth is the angle of a star measured along the horizon, from the pole.
In Toronto, the azimuth of the Big Dipper varies throughout the year but is generally between 300 to 340 degrees, which means it is northwest to north-northwest. The altitude of the Big Dipper in Toronto is typically around 40 to 50 degrees above the horizon.
Astronomers use azimuth and altitude as a coordinate system to locate celestial objects in the sky from a specific observer's perspective. Azimuth measures the angle along the horizon, indicating the cardinal direction (0° for North, 90° for East, etc.), while altitude measures the angle above the horizon. This system simplifies the process of tracking objects' positions as they move across the sky due to Earth's rotation. It is particularly useful for amateur astronomers and in practical observations.
That will depend on the time of day. The point in the sky at that RA and declination will revolve all the way around any observer at that latitude in roughly 24 hours. The highest it will ever get in his sky will be when it transits due south of him. At that moment, its azimuth will be 180° and its elevation will be 60° above the southern horizon.