Elevationswinkel

Elevationswinkel, in English often called the elevation angle or altitude, is the angle between the line of sight to a target and the local horizontal plane at the observer. It is a key component of a vertical coordinate system used to describe direction in fields such as surveying, astronomy and navigation. Positive values indicate objects above the horizon, zero corresponds to sighting along the horizon, and negative values indicate objects below the horizon. The elevation angle and the zenith angle are complementary, with zenith angle equal to 90° minus the elevationswinkel.

The Elevationswinkel is measured with instruments such as a theodolite, a total station, a sextant, or an inclinometer, and can be read from tilt sensors on cameras or other devices. When the horizontal direction (azimuth) is known, the two angles together specify the line of sight to a point in space. For short, flat‑Earth approximations, tan(elevationswinkel) ≈ (height difference) / (horizontal distance); for longer distances, corrections for Earth's curvature and atmospheric refraction may be required.

Applications are widespread. In astronomy, the elevation angle (altitude) locates celestial objects in the sky. In surveying and construction, it is used to sight targets, measure heights, and determine vertical distances. In radio and satellite communications, antennas are tilted by the elevation angle to maximize signal reception. Example: a 50-meter-high object observed from a point 400 meters away yields elevationswinkel ≈ arctan(50/400) ≈ 7.1°, assuming the observer’s eye is at ground level.

See also: altitude, zenith angle, azimuth.