Dictionary term
Celestial Meridian
Direct answer
Celestial Meridian: The Celestial Meridian is the great circle through the celestial poles, zenith, and nadir of an observer.
It divides the local sky into eastern and western halves.
It divides the local sky into eastern and western halves.
A scientific orientation to scale, light, or motion; the article supplies the precise definition.Quick reference
- Use when
- Use a location and time when calculating a meridian passage.
- Do not use it for
- Not every meridian crossing occurs above the horizon.
- Reference category
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Related terms
- Right Ascension Hour, Declination Circle, Local Meridian, Hour Angle
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The story behind Celestial Meridian
Meridian observations once anchored observatory clocks, catalogues, and longitude work.
Celestial Meridian: fact and faith, kept distinct
This is a factual astronomy reference. It can support wonder at the created order without becoming a claim of fate, worship, or private revelation.
Celestial Meridian in numerology
Celestial Meridian is not a numerology claim. Any numbers attached to it should retain their ordinary scientific, calendrical, navigational, or historical meaning unless a separate symbolic interpretation is clearly labeled.
Why Celestial Meridian matters
Crossing it usually marks an object’s upper or lower culmination.
Celestial Meridian at work: an example
A star at upper culmination crosses the local meridian at its greatest daily altitude.
Where interpretation stops
Celestial Meridian is presented as sourced astronomy, calendrical, Earth-science, cultural, or instrument-history reference. Definitions should distinguish measured phenomena from civil convention and historical interpretation, preserve location and time dependencies, and avoid turning factual sky data into a deterministic personal claim.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Astronomical Almanac Glossary - Definitions for astronomical coordinates, time, reference systems, and observable phenomena.
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Astronomical Data - Authoritative services for celestial positions, rise and set events, phases, and related calculations.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Also appears in
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Aliases
- None listed
- Last updated
- 2026-07-16
Track a meridian passage
Celestial Meridian in a book is one thing; Celestial Meridian in your own birth chart is your life. The Oracle casts your real chart and tells you what it means for your love, your work, and your year ahead, in conversation, free.
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More in Astronomy & Skywatching
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- North Celestial Pole
- Planetary Transit
- Resolving Power
- Spiral Galaxy
- White Dwarf
- Astronomical Nutation
Common questions
What is Celestial Meridian?
The Celestial Meridian is the great circle through the celestial poles, zenith, and nadir of an observer.
How is Celestial Meridian used in an almanac?
Use a location and time when calculating a meridian passage.
What should I avoid when interpreting Celestial Meridian?
Not every meridian crossing occurs above the horizon.
