celestial latitude

celestial latitude

n.

The angular distance north, counted positive, or south, counted negative, of the ecliptic along a great circle drawn through the pole of the ecliptic and a celestial body.

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celestial latitude

n

(Astronomy) the angular distance of a celestial body north or south from the ecliptic Also called ecliptic latitude

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celestial latitude

On the celestial sphere, the position of a celestial object north or south of the ecliptic. Celestial latitude is measured in degrees along a great circle drawn through the object being measured and the poles of the ecliptic, with positive values north of the ecliptic and negative values south of it, so that the ecliptic itself is 0° and the north and south ecliptic poles are +90° and -90° respectively. Compare celestial longitude. See more at ecliptic coordinate system.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

celestial latitude - (astronomy) the angular distance of a celestial body north or to the south of the celestial equator; expressed in degrees; used with right ascension to specify positions on the celestial sphere dec, declination astronomy, uranology - the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole angular distance - the angular separation between two objects as perceived by an observer; "he recorded angular distances between the stars"