Which mechanism allowed medieval astrolabes to indirectly determine the height of distant objects like towers?

💡 Explanation

When measuring object height, astrolabes use geometric relationships, employing the alidade to measure the object's angle above the horizon with solar altitude, and then convert these angles into a height using trigonometric rules of similar triangles. Therefore geometric altitude conversion determines height, rather than lunar parallax, stellar declination, or planetary alignments which involve unrelated astronomical phenomena.

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