Angular distance
Minor changes to use and added one inline citation to the first paragraph; still need to add it as a proper reference as well as put more inline citations
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{{Short description|Angle between the two sightlines or two objects as viewed from an observer}} |
{{Short description|Angle between the two sightlines or two objects as viewed from an observer}} |
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{{no footnotes|date=September 2025}} |
{{no footnotes|date=September 2025}} |
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'''Angular distance''' or '''angular separation''' is the measure of the [[angle]] between the [[orientation (geometry)|orientation]] of two [[straight line]]s, [[ray (geometry)|ray]]s, or [[vector (geometry)|vector]]s in [[three-dimensional space]], or the [[central angle]] [[subtended]] by the [[radius|radii]] through two points on a [[sphere]]. When the rays are [[Line of sight|lines of sight]] from an observer to two points in space, it is known as the '''apparent distance''' or '''apparent separation'''. |
'''Angular distance''' or '''angular separation''' is the measure of the [[angle]] between the [[orientation (geometry)|orientation]] of two [[straight line]]s, [[ray (geometry)|ray]]s, or [[vector (geometry)|vector]]s in a [[three-dimensional space]], or the [[central angle]] [[subtended]] by the [[radius|radii]] through two points on a [[sphere]]. When the rays are [[Line of sight|lines of sight]] from an observer to two points in space, it is known as the '''apparent distance''' or '''apparent separation'''. |
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Angular distance appears in [[mathematics]] (in particular [[geometry]] and [[trigonometry]]) and all [[natural science]]s (e.g., [[kinematics]], [[astronomy]], and [[geophysics]]). In the [[classical mechanics]] of rotating objects, it appears alongside [[angular velocity]], [[angular acceleration]], [[angular momentum]], [[moment of inertia]] and [[torque]]. |
Angular distance appears in [[mathematics]] (in particular [[geometry]] and [[trigonometry]]) and all [[natural science]]s (e.g., [[kinematics]], [[astronomy]], and [[geophysics]]). In the [[classical mechanics]] of rotating objects, it appears alongside [[angular velocity]], [[angular acceleration]], [[angular momentum]], [[moment of inertia]] and [[torque]]. |
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==Use== |
==Use== |
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The term ''angular distance'' (or ''separation'') is technically synonymous with ''angle'' itself, but is meant to suggest the linear [[distance]] between objects |
The term ''angular distance'' (or ''separation'') is technically synonymous with ''angle'' itself, but is meant to suggest the linear [[distance]] between objects on an angular coordinate system; for instance the [[Right ascension|right-ascension]] and [[declination]] in the [[Astronomical coordinate systems|celestial coordinate system]] are used to measure the apparent distance of a pair of [[star]]s as observed from [[Earth]]. |
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==Measurement== |
==Measurement== |
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{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
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1. [http://www.castor2.ca/07_News/headline_062515.html CASTOR, author Michael A. Earl. '''"'''The Spherical Trigonometry vs. Vector Analysis"]. |
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2. {{MathWorld|title=Angular Distance|urlname=AngularDistance}} |
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