| Antarctic Circle |
an imaginary line drawn around the earth parallel to the equator and north of the South Pole. |
| Arctic Circle |
an imaginary line drawn around the earth parallel to the equator which marks the boundary of the Arctic. North of this line there are periods of continuous night in the winter and continuous day in the summer. |
| armillary sphere |
an ancient sighting instrument formed of rings that are arranged in the positions of the tropics, equator, and the like. |
| Australasia |
Australia, New Zealand, and nearby islands south of the equator and north through Malaysia and the Philippines. |
| celestial equator |
a great circle, corresponding to the earth's equator, on the celestial sphere. |
| December |
the twelfth month of the year. December has thirty-one days. Winter begins in December for people who live north of the equator. |
| declination |
in astronomy, the angular distance of some object from the celestial equator. [1/5 definitions] |
| doldrums |
the ocean belt near the equator, characterized by calms and light, variable winds, or the characteristic weather of this region. [1/2 definitions] |
| equator |
the imaginary circle around the earth that is halfway between the North and South Poles. The equator is represented by a line that goes around the middle of a globe. |
| equatorial |
from, near, or on any equator. [2 definitions] |
| Equatorial Guinea |
a country near the equator on the west central coast of Africa, between Gabon and Cameroon. The capital of Equatorial Guinea is Malabo. |
| equinoctial |
concerning the celestial equator. [2/5 definitions] |
| equinoctial circle |
see "celestial equator." |
| equinox |
either of the two times during the year when the sun's rays are perpendicular to the earth's equator, occurring in March and September. During the equinox, day and night are both 12 hours long all over the world. |
| Ethiopian |
of or belonging to Africa below or near the equator and the southern portion of the Arabian peninsula, as certain plant or animal species. [1/3 definitions] |
| geostationary |
of or pertaining to a satellite or spacecraft that travels around the earth's equator at a speed equal to the earth's rotation so as to maintain a constant relation to points on the earth's surface. |
| hemisphere |
either of two halves of the earth. A hemisphere is formed by dividing the earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres at the equator, or into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres at a meridian. [1/2 definitions] |
| horse latitudes |
the north and south latitudes at about thirty degrees north and south of the equator, marked by light winds, calms, and high pressure. |
| June |
the sixth month of the year. June has thirty days. Summer begins in June for people who live north of the equator. |
| lat. |
abbreviation of "latitude," the angular distance between the equator and a point north or south on the earth's surface, as measured in degrees. |
| latitude |
the distance between the equator and a point north or south on the earth's surface. This distance is measured in degrees. |