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Coordinate systems in astronomy can specify an object's relative position in three-dimensional space or plot merely by its direction on a celestial sphere, if the object's distance is unknown or trivial. Spherical coordinates, projected on the celestial sphere, are analogous to the geographic coordinate system used on the surface of Earth.
The latitude and longitude of that point are known as the celestial body's geographic position (GP), the location of which can be determined from tables in the nautical or air almanac for that year. The measured angle between the celestial body and the visible horizon is directly related to the distance between the celestial body's GP and the ...
Longitude by chronometer is a method, in navigation, of determining longitude using a marine chronometer, which was developed by John Harrison during the first half of the eighteenth century. It is an astronomical method of calculating the longitude at which a position line, drawn from a sight by sextant of any celestial body, crosses the ...
Ecliptic latitude or celestial latitude (symbols: heliocentric b, geocentric β ), measures the angular distance of an object from the ecliptic towards the north (positive) or south (negative) ecliptic pole. For example, the north ecliptic pole has a celestial latitude of +90°. Ecliptic latitude for "fixed stars" is not affected by precession.
Galactic coordinate system. Artist's depiction of the Milky Way Galaxy showing the origin and orientation of galactic longitude. The galactic longitude ( l) runs from the Sun upwards in the image through the center of the galaxy. The galactic latitude ( b) is perpendicular to the image (i.e. coming out of the image) and also centered on the Sun.
The position of the Sun in the sky is a function of both the time and the geographic location of observation on Earth 's surface. As Earth orbits the Sun over the course of a year, the Sun appears to move with respect to the fixed stars on the celestial sphere, along a circular path called the ecliptic . Earth's rotation about its axis causes ...
The selenographic coordinate system is used to refer to locations on the surface of Earth 's moon. Any position on the lunar surface can be referenced by specifying two numerical values, which are comparable to the latitude and longitude of Earth. The longitude gives the position east or west of the Moon's prime meridian, which is the line ...
Longitude lines are perpendicular to and latitude lines are parallel to the Equator. A geographic coordinate system ( GCS) is a spherical or geodetic coordinate system for measuring and communicating positions directly on Earth as latitude and longitude. [1] It is the simplest, oldest and most widely used of the various spatial reference ...