Definition

Noun

  • An astronomical almanac with data on celestial bodies.

Origin

From Greek and then Latin. 17th century. Same word and meaning.

Comments

The first celestial studies were believed to have been done in ancient Greece. Data on celestial bodies were tabulated and their movement was predicted on the equinoctial system against a standard time (usually Greenwich Mean Time).

References

Kemp, P. (1994). The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. Oxford University Press.

Rogers, J.G. (1985). Origins of Sea Terms. Mystic Seaport.