equatorial plane

American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. the plane passing through the equator of the earth or another celestial body.

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Etymology

Origin of equatorial plane

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

In this case, there are two possible arrangements at the equatorial plane in metaphase I, as shown in the upper cell of each panel.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

During anaphase, the sister chromatids at the equatorial plane are split apart at the centromere.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

During metaphase, all of the chromosomes are aligned in a plane called the metaphase plate, or the equatorial plane, midway between the two poles of the cell.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

True planets form in roughly the equatorial plane of the sun, occupying specific, permanent orbits.

From Time Magazine Archive

When a charged particle bounces from one magnetic pole to the other, it must cross the equatorial plane of Saturn.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan