Celestial Equator Definition & Meaning

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Fall officially kicks off Friday at 11:50 p.m. with the fall equinox, the moment the sun crosses the celestial equator, an imaginary line above earth’s equator.

From Seattle Times

Orion straddles the celestial equator, so it is well known to observers in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and holds the record for containing the most bright stars in one stellar pattern.

From National Geographic

And whereas Ptolemy based his coordinate system on the ecliptic, Hipparchus used the celestial equator, a system more common in modern star maps.

From Scientific American

This makes the sun appear at its farthest below the celestial equator when viewed from Earth.

From Seattle Times

At the instant of the equinox — and it’s only an instant — the sun will beam directly above the celestial equator, that imaginary line that divides the planet in two.

From Seattle Times