An azimuth is the angular measurement in a spherical coordinate system which represents the horizontal angle from a cardinal direction, most commonly north.
A standard Brunton Geo compass, commonly used by geologists and surveyors to measure azimuth
An astrolabe is an astronomical instrument dating to ancient times. It serves as a star chart and physical model of visible heavenly bodies. Its various functions also make it an elaborate inclinometer and an analog calculation device capable of working out several kinds of problems in astronomy. In its simplest form it is a metal disc with a pattern of wires, cutouts, and perforations that allows a user to calculate astronomical positions precisely. It is able to measure the altitude above the horizon of a celestial body, day or night; it can be used to identify stars or planets, to determine local latitude given local time, to survey, or to triangulate. It was used in classical antiquity, the Islamic Golden Age, the European Middle Ages and the Age of Discovery for all these purposes.
North African, 9th century AD, Planispheric Astrolabe. Khalili Collection.
A modern astrolabe made in Tabriz, Iran in 2013.
16th-century woodcut of measurement of a building's height with an astrolabe
Armillary Sphere mosaic from the Casa di Leada at Soluntum in Sicily.
