celestial equator
noun
: the great circle on the celestial sphere midway between the celestial poles
Examples of celestial equator in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This month's full moon coincides with the summer solstice, which happens as the sun hits the northernmost point from the celestial equator, making the start of summer.
—
Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 7 June 2024
That's when the sun hits the northernmost point from the celestial equator and marks the official beginning of summer with the longest day of the year.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 6 June 2024
This equinox happens when the sun crosses the celestial equator, an imaginary line above the Earth’s equator, going from south to north.
—Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 20 Mar. 2024
This equinox happens when the sun, traveling from south to north, crosses the celestial equator, an imaginary plane that extends out into space from the Earth’s equator.
—Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024
Both terms describe the moment when the sun crosses the celestial equator, moving from south to north.
—The Arizona Republic, 9 Mar. 2024
The spring equinox is when the sun crosses the celestial equator — an imaginary line that lines up with the equator on Earth — and the northern hemisphere tilts more often toward the sun.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 23 Jan. 2024
The autumnal equinox happens the moment the sun crosses the celestial equator, which is an imaginary line in the sky that corresponds to Earth’s equator.
—Michael D'estries, Treehugger, 31 Aug. 2023
The equinox The autumnal equinox — the moment when the center of the Sun crosses the celestial equator and moves into the sky’s Southern Hemisphere — takes place Sept. 23 at 2:50 a.m.
—Geoff Chester, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2023
Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 7 June 2024
That's when the sun hits the northernmost point from the celestial equator and marks the official beginning of summer with the longest day of the year.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 6 June 2024
This equinox happens when the sun crosses the celestial equator, an imaginary line above the Earth’s equator, going from south to north.
—Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 20 Mar. 2024
This equinox happens when the sun, traveling from south to north, crosses the celestial equator, an imaginary plane that extends out into space from the Earth’s equator.
—Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024
Both terms describe the moment when the sun crosses the celestial equator, moving from south to north.
—The Arizona Republic, 9 Mar. 2024
The spring equinox is when the sun crosses the celestial equator — an imaginary line that lines up with the equator on Earth — and the northern hemisphere tilts more often toward the sun.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 23 Jan. 2024
The autumnal equinox happens the moment the sun crosses the celestial equator, which is an imaginary line in the sky that corresponds to Earth’s equator.
—Michael D'estries, Treehugger, 31 Aug. 2023
The equinox The autumnal equinox — the moment when the center of the Sun crosses the celestial equator and moves into the sky’s Southern Hemisphere — takes place Sept. 23 at 2:50 a.m.
—Geoff Chester, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'celestial equator.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near celestial equator
Cite this Entry
“Celestial equator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/celestial%20equator. Accessed 17 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share