equator
Sign in to savethumb|150px|right|The equator (yellow line) at the December solstice. The direction of the Sun is to the left. thumb|upright=1.35|Countries and territories that are intersected by the equator (red) or the IERS Reference Meridian|Prime Meridian (blue), which intersect at "[[Null Island".]] The equator is the circle of latitude that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, about in circumference, halfway between the North and South Poles. The term can also be used for any other celestial body that is roughly spherical.
AI overview
The equator is an imaginary line that circles Earth at 0 degrees latitude, dividing the planet into Northern and Southern Hemispheres and running halfway between the North and South Poles. It serves as a fundamental reference point for mapping and geographic organization, and the term can also apply to other roughly spherical celestial bodies.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
11 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Overview
- Geodesy
- Precise location
- Exact length
- Equatorial countries and territories
- Equatorial seasons and climate
- Line-crossing ceremonies
- See also
- References
- Sources
thumb|150px|right|The equator (yellow line) at the December solstice. The direction of the Sun is to the left. thumb|upright=1.35|Countries and territories that are intersected by the equator (red) or the IERS Reference Meridian|Prime Meridian (blue), which intersect at "[[Null Island".]] The equator is the circle of latitude that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, about in circumference, halfway between the North and South Poles. The term can also be used for any other celestial body that is roughly spherical.
In spatial (3D) geometry, as applied in astronomy, the equator of a rotating spheroid (such as a planet) is the parallel (circle of latitude) at which latitude is defined to be 0°. It is an imaginary line on the spheroid, equidistant from its poles, dividing it into northern and southern hemispheres. In other words, it is the intersection of the spheroid with the plane perpendicular to its axis of rotation and midway between its geographical poles.