'Right ascension' definitions:

Definition of 'right ascension'

noun

(astronomy) the equatorial coordinate specifying the angle, measured eastward along the celestial equator, from the vernal equinox to the intersection of the hour circle that passes through an object in the sky; usually expressed in hours and minutes and seconds; used with declination to specify positions on the celestial sphere; "one hour of right ascension equals fifteen degrees" [syn: right ascension, RA, celestial longitude]

Definition of 'Right ascension'

From: GCIDE

Right \Right\ (r[imac]t), a. [OE. right, riht, AS. riht; akin to D. regt, OS. & OHG. reht, G. recht, Dan. ret, Sw. r[aum]tt, Icel. rettr, Goth. ra['i]hts, L. rectus, p. p. of regere to guide, rule; cf. Skr. [.r]ju straight, right. [root]115. Cf. Adroit,Alert, Correct, Dress, Regular, Rector, Recto, Rectum, Regent, Region, Realm, Rich, Royal, Rule.]
1. Straight; direct; not crooked; as, a right line. "Right as any line." --Chaucer [1913 Webster]
2. Upright; erect from a base; having an upright axis; not oblique; as, right ascension; a right pyramid or cone. [1913 Webster]
3. Conformed to the constitution of man and the will of God, or to justice and equity; not deviating from the true and just; according with truth and duty; just; true. [1913 Webster]
That which is conformable to the Supreme Rule is absolutely right, and is called right simply without relation to a special end. --Whately. [1913 Webster]
2. Fit; suitable; proper; correct; becoming; as, the right man in the right place; the right way from London to Oxford. [1913 Webster]
5. Characterized by reality or genuineness; real; actual; not spurious. "His right wife." --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
In this battle, . . . the Britons never more plainly manifested themselves to be right barbarians. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
6. According with truth; passing a true judgment; conforming to fact or intent; not mistaken or wrong; not erroneous; correct; as, this is the right faith. [1913 Webster]
You are right, Justice, and you weigh this well. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
If there be no prospect beyond the grave, the inference is . . . right, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die." --Locke. [1913 Webster]
7. Most favorable or convenient; fortunate. [1913 Webster]
The lady has been disappointed on the right side. --Spectator. [1913 Webster]
8. Of or pertaining to that side of the body in man on which the muscular action is usually stronger than on the other side; -- opposed to left when used in reference to a part of the body; as, the right side, hand, arm. Also applied to the corresponding side of the lower animals. [1913 Webster]
Became the sovereign's favorite, his right hand. --Longfellow. [1913 Webster]
Note: In designating the banks of a river, right and left are used always with reference to the position of one who is facing in the direction of the current's flow. [1913 Webster]
9. Well placed, disposed, or adjusted; orderly; well regulated; correctly done. [1913 Webster]
10. Designed to be placed or worn outward; as, the right side of a piece of cloth. [1913 Webster]
At right angles, so as to form a right angle or right angles, as when one line crosses another perpendicularly.
Right and left, in both or all directions. [Colloq.]
Right and left coupling (Pipe fitting), a coupling the opposite ends of which are tapped for a right-handed screw and a left-handed screw, respectivelly.
Right angle. (a) The angle formed by one line meeting another perpendicularly, as the angles ABD, DBC. (b) (Spherics) A spherical angle included between the axes of two great circles whose planes are perpendicular to each other.
Right ascension. See under Ascension.
Right Center (Politics), those members belonging to the Center in a legislative assembly who have sympathies with the Right on political questions. See Center, n., 5.
Right cone, Right cylinder, Right prism, {Right pyramid} (Geom.), a cone, cylinder, prism, or pyramid, the axis of which is perpendicular to the base.
Right line. See under Line.
Right sailing (Naut.), sailing on one of the four cardinal points, so as to alter a ship's latitude or its longitude, but not both. --Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Right sphere (Astron. & Geol.), a sphere in such a position that the equator cuts the horizon at right angles; in spherical projections, that position of the sphere in which the primitive plane coincides with the plane of the equator. [1913 Webster]
Note: Right is used elliptically for it is right, what you say is right, true. [1913 Webster]
"Right," cries his lordship. --Pope. [1913 Webster]
Syn: Straight; direct; perpendicular; upright; lawful; rightful; true; correct; just; equitable; proper; suitable; becoming. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'right ascension'

From: GCIDE

Refraction \Re*frac"tion\ (r?*fr?k"sh?n), n. [F. r['e]fraction.]
1. The act of refracting, or the state of being refracted. [1913 Webster]
2. The change in the direction of ray of light, heat, or the like, when it enters obliquely a medium of a different density from that through which it has previously moved. [1913 Webster]
Refraction out of the rarer medium into the denser, is made towards the perpendicular. --Sir I. Newton. [1913 Webster]
3. (Astron.) (a) The change in the direction of a ray of light, and, consequently, in the apparent position of a heavenly body from which it emanates, arising from its passage through the earth's atmosphere; -- hence distinguished as atmospheric refraction, or astronomical refraction. (b) The correction which is to be deducted from the apparent altitude of a heavenly body on account of atmospheric refraction, in order to obtain the true altitude. [1913 Webster]
Angle of refraction (Opt.), the angle which a refracted ray makes with the perpendicular to the surface separating the two media traversed by the ray.
Conical refraction (Opt.), the refraction of a ray of light into an infinite number of rays, forming a hollow cone. This occurs when a ray of light is passed through crystals of some substances, under certain circumstances. Conical refraction is of two kinds; external conical refraction, in which the ray issues from the crystal in the form of a cone, the vertex of which is at the point of emergence; and internal conical refraction, in which the ray is changed into the form of a cone on entering the crystal, from which it issues in the form of a hollow cylinder. This singular phenomenon was first discovered by Sir W. R. Hamilton by mathematical reasoning alone, unaided by experiment.
Differential refraction (Astron.), the change of the apparent place of one object relative to a second object near it, due to refraction; also, the correction required to be made to the observed relative places of the two bodies.
Double refraction (Opt.), the refraction of light in two directions, which produces two distinct images. The power of double refraction is possessed by all crystals except those of the isometric system. A uniaxial crystal is said to be optically positive (like quartz), or optically negative (like calcite), or to have positive, or negative, double refraction, according as the optic axis is the axis of least or greatest elasticity for light; a biaxial crystal is similarly designated when the same relation holds for the acute bisectrix.
Index of refraction. See under Index.
Refraction circle (Opt.), an instrument provided with a graduated 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 distant point on or near the earth's surface, as the top of a mountain, arising from the passage of light from it to the eye through atmospheric strata of varying density. [1913 Webster]