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astrometer

astrometer

9.9
A person who measures star positions, movement, and brightness
  • noun
  • /æˈstrɒmɪtər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : astrometro
  • The role of an astrometer is crucial in tracking the movements of celestial bodies.

Examples

  • An experienced astrometer can calculate the exact position of stars in the night sky.

  • Every astrometer relies on precise measurements to ensure accurate star observations.

  • The auxiliary catalog, named Tycho in honor of the last great naked-eye astrometer, contains a million less-well-measured stars, with an astrometric resolution of 2.5 milliarcseconds and a photometric precision of 6%.

    Academic text (1997)

Synonyms

astronomer
vsastrometer
171 3.4

A person who studies stars, planets, and other things in space

specializes in measuring positions, movements, and brightness of stars
photometrist
vsastrometer
  • Specialized
9.9

A person who measures how bright light is using instruments

also measures positions and movements not only light intensity

How Specialized

astrometer
  • Specialized
9.9
astronomer
171 3.4
stargazer
2 6.3
observer
305 2.8

Surface Forms

astrometer singular
astrometers plural

Morphology

astrometer = meter (opaque) = astro + meter

The word is formally analyzable as astro- + meter, but the person sense is specialized and not a straightforward everyday derivation from the component parts.

Etymology

Astrometer comes from astro- meaning 'star' and -meter meaning 'measure'. So an astrometer is like a 'star-measurer', a person who records the positions or brightness of stars.