Azimuth, altitude, and distance (AAD) is the most commonly used coordinate system for measuring and describing the position of heavenly objects. AAD is a three dimensional coordinate system, differentiated from span & reach which is used to tell something’s position in two dimensional space on the Plane. Altitude, azimuth, and distance is used for a multitude of purposes but primarily by astronomers to describe the position of stars.
The origin of AAD coordinates is typically the pole, but it may be used to measure anything’s relative position from any other thing.
- Azimuth is a measure of the position’s angular direction along the Plane’s horizon relative to the north, it’s expressed in degrees increasing starward.
- Altitude is a measure of the position’s angular direction upwards from the Plane’s horizon, it’s expressed in degrees increasing upward to the zenith at 90°. Altitude can be negative to represent positions below the horizon.
- Distance is a measure of how far from the point of origin the position is located. It is expressed in some unit which may vary depending on the context. A position in the coordinate system is represented in the format (Azimuth°, Altitude°, Distance).
This article is considered complete for the moment, but is missing sections which can be elaborated on as the setting develops! If you think it needs expansion now, suggest an edit through a GitHub issue!
Could really use a section on the history of its invention and the impact it’s had on science and the Plane.