circle of longitude

circle of longitude

Any great circle that passes through the poles of the ecliptic and is thus at right angles to the plane of the ecliptic. Circles of latitude lie parallel to the ecliptic plane.

Collins Dictionary of Astronomy © Market House Books Ltd, 2006

circle of longitude

[′sər·kəl əv ′län·jə‚tüd]

(astronomy)

A circle of the celestial sphere, parallel to the ecliptic.

(geodesy)

parallel

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

circle of longitude

i. A circle of the celestial sphere parallel to the ecliptic.
ii. A circle on the surface of the earth parallel to the plane of the equator. A parallel, along which longitude is measured. Also called parallel of latitude.

An Illustrated Dictionary of Aviation Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved