Weather Instrumentation: What is an Anemometer?

Here's a little weather trivia for you! In meteorology, we have a variety of instruments that help us measure certain components of the atmosphere. With that being said, what weather instrument helps us measure wind speed and direction? Is it....

A. Thermometer

B. Barometer

C. Anemometer

D. Ceilometer 

Did you take a guess? Well, if you answered C... Anemometer, you are correct!!! 

Now, the reason I bring this up is because the commentators for the New York Yankees didn't know the actual name of the instrument when they showed it on-air during Sunday's game. 

For those wondering, the term anemometer is derived from the Greek word "anemos" which means wind. According to NASA, the earliest known design of an anemometer was by Italian inventor and architect Leon Battista Alberti back in the year 1450. Other instruments that are used to document both wind speed and direction are a wind sock or a wind vane.