Explanation
Declination in astronomy is comparable to geographic latitude, projected onto the celestial sphere. Points north of the celestial equator have positive declinations, while those south have negative declinations. Any units of angular measure can be used for declination, but it is customarily measured in the degrees ( ° ), minutes ( ' ), and seconds ( " ) of sexagesimal measure, with 90° equivalent to 1⁄4 circle. Declinations with magnitudes greater than 90° do not occur, because the poles are the northernmost and southernmost points of the celestial sphere.
An object at the
- celestial equator has a declination of 0°
- north celestial pole has a declination of +90°
- south celestial pole has a declination of −90°
The sign is customarily included whether positive or negative.
Read more about this topic: Declination
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