RIGHT ASCENSION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does right ascension mean? 

• RIGHT ASCENSION (noun)
  The noun RIGHT ASCENSION has 1 sense:

1. (astronomy) the equatorial coordinate specifying the angle, measured eastward along the celestial equator, from the vernal equinox to the intersection of the hour circle that passes through an object in the sky; usually expressed in hours and minutes and seconds; used with declination to specify positions on the celestial sphere

  Familiarity information: RIGHT ASCENSION used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RIGHT ASCENSION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(astronomy) the equatorial coordinate specifying the angle, measured eastward along the celestial equator, from the vernal equinox to the intersection of the hour circle that passes through an object in the sky; usually expressed in hours and minutes and seconds; used with declination to specify positions on the celestial sphere

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Synonyms:

celestial longitude; RA; right ascension

Context example:

one hour of right ascension equals fifteen degrees

Hypernyms ("right ascension" is a kind of...):

angular distance (the angular separation between two objects as perceived by an observer)

Domain category:

astronomy; uranology (the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole)