altitude
- A measure (or condition) of height, especially of great height, as a mountain top or aircraft flight level.
In meteorology, altitude is used almost exclusively with respect to the height of an airborne object above the earth’s surface, above a constant-pressure surface, or above mean sea level. The measurement of altitude is accomplished by altimeters in aeronautics, and the entire study is called altimetry.
Compare elevation.
- In astronomy,
same as elevation angle.