ecliptic coordinate system

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The coordinate system in which a celestial object's position on the celestial sphere is described in terms of its celestial latitude and celestial longitude, measured with respect to the ecliptic. Celestial latitude is measured in degrees north or south of the ecliptic, and celestial longitude is measured in degrees eastward from the vernal equinox. Because the ecliptic is fixed among the stars (that is, it is unaffected by the precession of the Earth's axis), an object's celestial latitude does not alter over time. However, due to the gradual precession of the equinoxes westward along the ecliptic, an object's celestial longitude increases by about 1.4° each century. The ecliptic system is used by astronomers especially in describing the position of objects within the solar system. Compare altazimuth coordinate system equatorial coordinate system.

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Words nearby ecliptic coordinate system

eclipsing binary, eclipsing variable, eclipsing variable star, eclipsis, ecliptic, ecliptic coordinate system, ecliptic latitude, ecliptic longitude, eclogite, eclogue, Eclogues

How to use ecliptic coordinate system in a sentence

There were no deaths on scheduled commercial aviation flights in 2014, in a system that operates 68,000 flights a day.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501|Clive Irving|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She fills her characters up—strong women beating back against a sexist system—with so much heart.
Oscars 2015: The Daily Beast’s Picks, From Scarlett Johansson to ‘Boyhood’|Marlow Stern|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A hundred ultra-wealthy liberal and conservative donors have taken over the political system.
The 100 Rich People Who Run America|Mark McKinnon|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“Stay in formation,” a sergeant from the ceremonial unit said over a public address system to the cops along the street.
Funeral Protest Is Too Much for NYPD Union Boss|Michael Daly|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Both parties are now equal opportunity offenders when it comes to gaming the system.
The 100 Rich People Who Run America|Mark McKinnon|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Sweden excluded British goods, conformably to the continental system established by Bonaparte.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
As Spain, however, has fallen from the high place she once held, her colonial system has also gone down.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
The reformers of the earlier period were not indifferent to the need for centralized organization in the banking system.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
Accordingly, the question "How far does the note issue under the new system seem likely to prove an elastic one?"
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
Thanks to Berthier's admirable system, Bonaparte was kept in touch with every part of his command.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison