astronomical latitude

astronomical latitude

[‚as·trə′näm·ə·kəl ′lad·ə‚tüd]

(geodesy)

Angular distance between the direction of gravity (plumb line) and the plane of the celestial equator; applies only to positions on the earth and is reckoned from the astronomical equator.

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