equatorial system

The topic equatorial system is discussed in the following articles:

major references

  • TITLE: star (astronomy)
    SECTION: Basic measurements
    Accurate observations of stellar positions are essential to many problems of astronomy. Positions of the brighter stars can be measured very accurately in the equatorial system (the coordinates of which are called right ascension [α, or RA] and declination [δ, or DEC] and are given for some epoch—for example, 1950.0 or, currently, 2000.0). Fainter stars are measured by using...
  • TITLE: astronomical map
    SECTION: The equatorial system
    Based on the celestial equator and poles, the equatorial coordinates, right ascension and declination, are directly analogous to terrestrial longitude and latitude. Right ascension, measured eastward from the first point of Aries (see directly above), is customarily divided into 24 hours rather than 360°, thus emphasizing the clocklike behaviour of the sphere. Precise equatorial positions...