The angular distance of a celestial object north or south of the celestial equator, measured in degrees. It's the celestial equivalent of latitude on Earth's surface.
From Latin 'declinatio' meaning 'a bending away' or 'deviation,' originally used in sundial construction to describe the Sun's deviation from the celestial equator. The astronomical usage developed in medieval times as coordinate systems were formalized.
Declination is like celestial latitude - stars near the celestial equator (0° declination) are visible worldwide, while stars at high declinations are only visible from one hemisphere! Polaris has a declination of about +89°, making it visible only from the north.
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