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The act or state of bending downward; inclination; as, declination of the head.

A scale of the sun's declination for each day of the year, drawn across the torrid zone on an artificial terrestrial globe.

The act or the state of declining; declination; descent; slope. The declension of the land from that place to the sea. T. Burnet.

An instrument for taking the declination or angle which a plane makes with the horizontal plane.

Containing or involving a declination or refusal, as of submission to a charge or sentence. Blackstone. Declinatory plea (O. Eng. Law), the plea of sanctuary or of benefit of clergy, before trial or conviction; -- now abolished.

An instrument for measuring the declination of the magnetic needle.

stance on the heavens of a heavenly body from the north pole. It is the complement of the declination. -- Zenith distance (Astron.), the arc on the heavens from a heavenly body to the zenith of the observer. It is the complement of the altitude. -- To keep one's distance, to stand aloof; to refrain from familiarity.…

lel to the axis of the earth, and each carrying a graduated circle, the one for measuring declination, and the other right ascension, or the hour angle, so that the telescope may be directed, even in the daytime, to any star or other object whose right ascension and declination are known. The motion in right ascension…

In a path near the equator, so that the declination is small, or near the horizon, so that the altitude is small; -- said of the heavenly bodies with reference to the diurnal revolution; as, the moon runs low, that is, is comparatively near the horizon when on or near the meridian.

are capable or becoming magnetic. (b) (Physics) In respect to terrestrial magnetism, the declination, inclination, and intensity. (c) See under Element. -- Magnetic equator, the line around the equatorial parts of the earth at which there is no dip, the dipping needle being horizontal. -- Magnetic field, or Field of…

y, an instrument for determining any of the terrestrial magnetic elements, as the dip and declination.

the object glass of a telescope, and used to determine differences of right ascension and declination between stars by observations of the times at which the stars cross the inner or outer periphery of the ring. -- Double image micrometer, a micrometer in which two images of an object are formed in the field, usually…

The distance of any heavenly body from the equator northward; north declination.

the small circles of the sphere, parallel to the horizon; an almucantar. -- Parallel of declination (Astron.), one of the small circles of the sphere, parallel to the equator. -- Parallel of latitude. (a) (Geog.) See def. 6. above. (b) (Astron.) One of the small circles of the sphere, parallel to the ecliptic.…

tion in the heavens, as of a heavenly body; -- usually defined by its right ascension and declination, or by its latitude and longitude. Place of arms (Mil.), a place calculated for the rendezvous of men in arms, etc., as a fort which affords a safe retreat for hospitals, magazines, etc. Wilhelm. -- High place (Script…

(as that joining two stars) makes with another fixed line, specifically with a circle of declination. -- Double position (Arith.), the method of solving problems by proceeding with each of two assumed numbers, according to the conditions of the problem, and by comparing the difference of the results with those of the…

raduated circle for the measurement of refraction. -- Refraction of latitude, longitude, declination, right ascension, etc., the change in the apparent latitude, longitude, etc., of a heavenly body, due to the effect of atmospheric refraction. -- Terrestrial refraction, the change in the apparent altitude of a distan…

Formal declination to take out letters of administration, or to assume an office, privilege, or right.

imb of which embraces a small portion only of a circle, used for measuring differences of declination too great for the compass of a micrometer. When it is used for measuring zenith distances of stars, it is called a zenith sector. Dip sector, an instrument used for measuring the dip of the horizon. -- Sector of a sph…

Distance of any heavenly body south of the equator; south declination; south latitude.