Fundamental plane (spherical coordinates)
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Short description: Plane of reference that divides the sphere into two hemispheres
The fundamental plane in a spherical coordinate system is a plane of reference that divides the sphere into two hemispheres. The geocentric latitude of a point is then the angle between the fundamental plane and the line joining the point to the centre of the sphere.[1]
For a geographic coordinate system of the Earth, the fundamental plane is the Equator.
Astronomical coordinate systems have varying fundamental planes:[2]
- The horizontal coordinate system uses the observer's horizon.
- The Besselian coordinate system uses Earth's terminator (day/night boundary).[3] This is a Cartesian coordinate system (x, y, z).
- The equatorial coordinate system uses the celestial equator.
- The ecliptic coordinate system uses the ecliptic.
- The galactic coordinate system uses the Milky Way's galactic equator.
See also
References
- ↑ Rogers, Lucy (2008), It's ONLY Rocket Science: An Introduction in Plain English, Springer, p. 136, ISBN 9780387753782, https://books.google.com/books?id=JTFGAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA136.
- ↑ Newcomb, Simon (1906). A Compendium of Spherical Astronomy with Its Applications to the Determination and Reduction of Positions of the Fixed Stars. Macmillan. p. 92. https://archive.org/details/acompendiumsphe00newcgoog..
- ↑ "NASA - Besselian Elements of Solar Eclipses". https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEcat5/beselm.html.
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