What does Parallax mean?
Definitions for Parallax
ˈpær əˌlækspar·al·lax
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Parallax.
Princeton's WordNet
parallaxnoun
the apparent displacement of an object as seen from two different points that are not on a line with the object
GCIDE
Parallaxnoun
(Astron.) The annual parallax. See annual parallax, below.
Wiktionary
parallaxnoun
The change of angular position of two stationary points relative to each other as seen by an observer, due to the motion of an observer
parallaxnoun
The apparent shift of an object against a background due to a change in observer position
parallaxnoun
The angle of seeing of the Astronomical Unit
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
PARALLAXnoun
The distance between the true and apparent place of the sun, or any star viewed from the surface of the earth.
Etymology: παϱάλαξις.
By what strange parallax or optick skill
Of vision multiply’d John Milton, Paradise Regained.Light moves from the sun to us in about seven or eight minutes time, which distance is about 70,000,000 English miles, supposing the horizontal parallax of the sun to be about twelve seconds. Isaac Newton, Optics.
Wikipedia
Parallax
Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight and is measured by the angle or half-angle of inclination between those two lines. Due to foreshortening, nearby objects show a larger parallax than farther objects, so parallax can be used to determine distances. To measure large distances, such as the distance of a planet or a star from Earth, astronomers use the principle of parallax. Here, the term parallax is the semi-angle of inclination between two sight-lines to the star, as observed when Earth is on opposite sides of the Sun in its orbit. These distances form the lowest rung of what is called "the cosmic distance ladder", the first in a succession of methods by which astronomers determine the distances to celestial objects, serving as a basis for other distance measurements in astronomy forming the higher rungs of the ladder. Parallax also affects optical instruments such as rifle scopes, binoculars, microscopes, and twin-lens reflex cameras that view objects from slightly different angles. Many animals, along with humans, have two eyes with overlapping visual fields that use parallax to gain depth perception; this process is known as stereopsis. In computer vision the effect is used for computer stereo vision, and there is a device called a parallax rangefinder that uses it to find the range, and in some variations also altitude to a target. A simple everyday example of parallax can be seen in the dashboards of motor vehicles that use a needle-style mechanical speedometer. When viewed from directly in front, the speed may show exactly 60, but when viewed from the passenger seat, the needle may appear to show a slightly different speed due to the angle of viewing combined with the displacement of the needle from the plane of the numerical dial.
ChatGPT
parallax
Parallax is a phenomenon in which the position or direction of an object appears to change when observed from different positions or viewpoints. It is often used in astronomy to measure the distance of stars and other celestial objects from Earth. The principle of parallax relies on the concept of triangulation, where the line of sight from two different points forms a triangle to the sighted object. The difference in viewing angle from these two points creates the apparent shift in the position of the object.
Webster Dictionary
Parallaxnoun
the apparent displacement, or difference of position, of an object, as seen from two different stations, or points of view
Parallaxnoun
the apparent difference in position of a body (as the sun, or a star) as seen from some point on the earth's surface, and as seen from some other conventional point, as the earth's center or the sun
Etymology: [Gr. alternation, the mutual inclination of two lines forming an angle, fr. to change a little, go aside, deviate; para` beside, beyond + to change: cf. F. parallaxe. Cf. Parallel.]
Wikidata
Parallax
Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight, and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. The term is derived from the Greek παράλλαξις, meaning "alteration". Nearby objects have a larger parallax than more distant objects when observed from different positions, so parallax can be used to determine distances. Astronomers use the principle of parallax to measure distances to celestial objects including to the Moon, the Sun, and to stars beyond the Solar System. For example, the Hipparcos satellite took measurements for over 100,000 nearby stars. This provides a basis for other distance measurements in astronomy, the cosmic distance ladder. Here, the term "parallax" is the angle or semi-angle of inclination between two sight-lines to the star. Parallax also affects optical instruments such as rifle scopes, binoculars, microscopes, and twin-lens reflex cameras that view objects from slightly different angles. Many animals, including humans, have two eyes with overlapping visual fields that use parallax to gain depth perception; this process is known as stereopsis. In computer vision the effect is used for computer stereo vision, and there is a device called a parallax rangefinder that uses it to find range, and in some variations also altitude to a target.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Parallax
par′a-laks, n. an apparent change in the position of an object caused by change of position in the observer: (astron.) the difference between the apparent and real place of a star or other celestial object.—adjs. Parallac′tic, -al. [Gr. parallaxis—para, beside, allassein, to change—allos, another.]
The Nuttall Encyclopedia
Parallax
an astronomical term to denote an apparent change in the position of a heavenly body due to a change in the position or assumed position of the observer.
The Standard Electrical Dictionary
Parallax
The apparent change in position of an object when looked at from two points of view. By looking at an object a few feet distant first with one eye and then with the other, the shifting in apparent position is seen. In reading the position of an indicator or needle over a scale parallax introduces an error unless the eye is held vertically over the needle. By making the dial of looking- glass and holding the eye so that the reflection of its pupil is bisected by the needle this verticality is ensured.
Dictionary of Nautical Terms
parallax
An apparent change in the position of an object, arising from a change of the observer's station, and which diminishes with the altitude of an object in the vertical circle. Its effect is greatest in the horizon, where it is termed the horizontal parallax, and vanishes entirely in the zenith. The positions of the planets and comets, as viewed from the surface of the earth, differ from those they would occupy if observed from its centre by the amount of parallax, the due application of which is an important element. The stars are so distant that their positions are the same from whatever part of the earth they are seen; but attempts have been made to detect the amount of variation in their places, when observed from opposite points of the earth's orbit, the minute result of which is termed the annual parallax; and the former effect, due to the observer's station on our globe, is called the diurnal parallax.
Matched Categories
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of Parallax in Chaldean Numerology is: 6
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of Parallax in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4
Examples of Parallax in a Sentence
The New Horizons spacecraft is truly a mission of firsts, and this demonstration of stellar parallax is no different the New Horizons spacecraft continues to speed away from Earth toward interstellar space and is continuing to return exciting new data for planetary science.
The New Horizons spacecraft is truly a mission of firsts, and this demonstration of stellar parallax is no different, the New Horizons spacecraft continues to speed away from Earth toward interstellar space and is continuing to return exciting new data for planetary science.
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