transit instrument
- noun
- Archaic
:
instrumento de tránsito
- During the observation, the transit instrument recorded the moment the star crossed the meridian.
Examples
-
In 1849, he invented a "Declinometer," a fast and accurate apparatus that consisted of a small telescope mounted on a transit instrument that was used for measuring differences in the declination of heavenly bodies.
Academic text (2005) -
The astronomer used the transit instrument to precisely note the time when the planet aligned with the meridian.
-
The Observatory itself had a 6-inch refractor and a transit instrument.
Academic text (2005) -
A transit instrument is essential for astronomers who need to measure celestial events accurately.
Synonyms
15
8.9
A small telescope on a tripod used to measure horizontal and vertical angles
How Accurate
- Specialized
5
4.3
- Specialized
5
8.6
- Archaic
4
1.8
11
4.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is fully compositional: a 'transit instrument' is simply an instrument that is a 'transit' (a telescope-mounted surveying device). Given the provided meanings of the constituents, a B1 learner who knows 'transit' in this technical sense and 'instrument' can readily infer the MWE's meaning; it follows a common noun+noun compounding pattern.
Etymology
Transit instrument is named for what it watches: a transit is when a star or planet crosses an imaginary north-south line in the sky, and the instrument is a telescope fixed on an east-west axis to watch that crossing. So the name means a tool used to record the exact time a star or planet 'transits' that line.