An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

The angle between the → equatorial plane and the true → vertical at a point on the surface.

→ astronomical; → latitude.

Angular distance → north or → south measured from the → ecliptic to a → celestial object.

→ celestial; → latitude.

1) A circle of the celestial sphere, parallel to the ecliptic.
2) A circle on the terrestrial surface parallel to the equator, along which longitude is measured.

→ circle; → latitude.

The polar angle on a sphere measured from the north pole instead of the equator; equal to "90° - latitude".

→ co- + → latitude.

One of the two coordinates in the → ecliptic system; the angle measured from the ecliptic, positive toward the north.

→ ecliptic; → latitude.

In the → Galactic coordinate system, the angle between the line of sight to an object and the → Galactic equator. Galactic latitude, usually represented by the symbol b^II, ranges from +90 degrees to -90 degrees.

→ galactic; → latitude.

The angle between the geocentric location vector and the → geodetic equator.

→ geocentric; → latitude.

The → acute angle between the → geodetic vertical and the → geodetic equator.

→ geodetic; → latitude.

A synonym for → geodetic latitude or → astronomical latitude.

→ geographic; → latitude.

The latitude belt roughly between 60 and 90 degrees North and South. Also referred to as the polar region.

→ high; → latitude.

The belts of latitude over the oceans, located around 30° north and south of the equator, characterized by predominantly calm or light winds and hot and dry weather.

→ horse; → latitude.
The origin of the term horse latitudes is not clear, despite numerous speculations. A likely explanation appears in Spanish in a natural history text (Historia General y Natural de las Indias by Lopez de Gomara) published in 1535. Therefore, the term derives from El Golfo de las Yeguas, which translates to "The Mares' Sea." The sailors called it this because in the 1500's there was active shipping of horses, particularly brood mares, from Spain to the Canary Islands, and many of the horses died during the transit of this area.

The angle between a perpendicular at a location, and the → equatorial plane of the Earth. → longitude. See also:
→ astronomical latitude, → celestial latitude, → circle of latitude, → colatitude, → ecliptic latitude, → Galactic latitude, → geocentric latitude, → geodetic latitude, → geographic latitude, → high latitudes, → horse latitudes, → middle latitudes, → spherical latitude, → supergalactic latitude.

L. latitudo "breadth, width, size," from latus "wide," from PIE base *stela- "to spread" (cf. O.C.S. steljo "to spread out," Arm. lain "broad").

Varunâ, from var "breadth, side, breast," variant bar, Tabari vari "width," Mid.Pers. var "breast," Av. varah- "breast" (Sk. vara- "width, breadth") + -u a suffix forming adjectives; Av. vouru- "wide;" + -nâ a suffix of dimension.

A tiny oscillating motion of the Moon arising from the fact that the Moon's axis is slightly inclined relative to the Earth's. More specifically, the Moon's polar axis is tilted nearly 7° with respect to the plane of its orbit around Earth. Hence for half of each orbit we see slightly more of the north pole when its tipped toward us, and for the other half we see slightly more of its south pole. Libration in latitude displaces the mean center of the Moon north-south by between 6°.5 and 6°.9.

→ libration; → latitude.

The latitude belt roughly between 35 and 65 degrees North and South. Also referred to as the temperate region.

→ middle; → latitude.

The angle between the → normal to a spherical reference surface and the → equatorial plane.

→ spherical; → latitude.

→ supergalactic coordinate system.

→ supergalactic; → latitude.