How to calculate the azimuth of a terrestrial body?

Question

This is an astronomy enquiry in the computation of terrestrial bodies using the celestial bodies

Answer 1

The azimuth is the direction of a celestial object, measured clockwise around the observer's horizon from north. So an object due north has an azimuth of 0°, one due east 90°, south 180° and west 270°. Azimuth and altitude are usually used together to give the direction of an object where the altitude is the distance an object appears to be above the horizon (measured up from the closest point on the horizon).

Answer 2

All you have to do is stand outside with a compass and see which direction it's in. Make sure to align the compass so zero is pointed towards the north star.

If, instead of using the north star, you use the compass itself (magnetic north), then you'll need to add or subtract a little bit to find the true direction of north (towards the north star). This is because the magnetic north pole isn't exactly at the north pole that is at the top of the world. It's above Canada.

As far as actual computation, most people today just use a computer. You could use a sexton, I suppose.

Answer 3

It requires spherical trigonometry. It is a somewhat, but not highly, advanced topic in mathematical astronomy and not something that can be explained easily in a few sentences.