Parallax

Parallax

Parallax (/pærəˌlæks/; from Ancient Greek: παράλλαξις (parallaxis), meaning 'alternation') 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 word παράλλαξις (parallaxis), which means 'alternation'. In astronomy, parallax is used to measure distances to nearby stars. In simple terms, it is the effect whereby the position or direction of an object appears to differ when viewed from different positions.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈpærəˌlæks/

Etymology

The word parallax is derived from the Greek word παράλλαξις (parallaxis), which means 'alternation'. It was first used in English in the 16th century.

Related Terms

• Stellar parallax
• Binocular parallax
• Photogrammetric parallax
• Diurnal parallax
• Annual parallax

See Also

• Astronomy
• Measurement
• Geometry
• Perspective (graphical)

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Parallax
• Wikipedia's article - Parallax

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