celestial coordinates

Celestial coordinates are a system used to locate objects in the sky, similar to how geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) find locations on Earth. They usually consist of right ascension (the equivalent of longitude, measured in hours, minutes, and seconds) and declination (like latitude, measured in degrees). Right ascension measures how far an object is eastward along the celestial equator, while declination indicates how far north or south it is from the celestial equator. These coordinates help astronomers pinpoint stars, planets, and other celestial objects precisely, regardless of Earth's rotation or position.