# Colure

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{{Short description|Principal meridians of the celestial sphere}}
{{distinguish|Coulure}}
thumb|upright=1.3|'''Orange''' = equinoctial colure<br> '''Blue''' = solstitial colure
thumb|'''G''' = equinoctial colure<br> '''H''' = solstitial colure
'''Colure''', in [astronomy](/source/astronomy), is either of the two principal [meridian](/source/meridian_(astronomy))s of the [celestial sphere](/source/celestial_sphere).{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} The term is now rarely used and may be considered obsolete.

==Equinoctial colure==
The ''equinoctial colure'' is the [meridian](/source/meridian_(astronomy)) or [great circle](/source/great_circle) of the celestial sphere which passes through the [celestial pole](/source/celestial_pole)s and the two [equinox](/source/equinox)es:{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} the [first point of Aries](/source/first_point_of_Aries) and the [first point of Libra](/source/first_point_of_Libra). It is the great circle consisting of all points on the celestial sphere with [Right Ascension](/source/Right_Ascension) equal to 0 hours or 12 hours (equivalent to RA 0° / 180°).

The equinoctial colure passes through the following constellations:
{{columns-list|colwidth=125px|
*[Ursa Minor](/source/Ursa_Minor)
*[Camelopardalis](/source/Camelopardalis)
*[Draco](/source/Draco_(constellation))
*[Ursa Major](/source/Ursa_Major)
*[Coma Berenices](/source/Coma_Berenices)
*[Virgo](/source/Virgo_(constellation))
*[Corvus](/source/Corvus_(constellation))
*[Hydra](/source/Hydra_(constellation))
*[Centaurus](/source/Centaurus)
*[Crux](/source/Crux)
*[Musca](/source/Musca)
*[Chamaeleon](/source/Chamaeleon)
*[Octans](/source/Octans)
*[Tucana](/source/Tucana)
*[Phoenix](/source/Phoenix_(constellation))
*[Sculptor](/source/Sculptor_(constellation))
*[Cetus](/source/Cetus_(constellation))
*[Pisces](/source/Pisces_(constellation))
*[Pegasus](/source/Pegasus_(constellation))
*[Andromeda](/source/Andromeda_(constellation))
*[Cassiopeia](/source/Cassiopeia_(constellation))
*[Cepheus](/source/Cepheus_(constellation))
}}

==Solstitial colure==
The ''solstitial colure'' is the meridian or great circle of the celestial sphere which passes through the poles and the two [solstice](/source/solstice)s:{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} the [first point of Cancer](/source/first_point_of_Cancer) and the [first point of Capricorn](/source/first_point_of_Capricorn). It is the great circle consisting of all points on the celestial sphere with [Right Ascension](/source/Right_Ascension) equal to 6 hours or 18 hours (equivalent to RA 90° / 270°).

The solstitial colure passes through the following constellations:
{{columns-list|colwidth=125px|
*[Ursa Minor](/source/Ursa_Minor)
*[Cepheus](/source/Cepheus_(constellation))
*[Camelopardalis](/source/Camelopardalis)
*[Auriga](/source/Auriga_(constellation))
*[Taurus](/source/Taurus_(constellation))
*[Orion](/source/Orion_(constellation))
*[Monoceros](/source/Monoceros_(constellation))
*[Lepus](/source/Lepus_(constellation))
*[Columba](/source/Columba_(constellation))
*[Pictor](/source/Pictor)
*[Dorado](/source/Dorado)
*[Mensa](/source/Mensa_(constellation))
*[Octans](/source/Octans)
*[Apus](/source/Apus)
*[Pavo](/source/Pavo_(constellation))
*[Ara](/source/Ara_(constellation))
*[Corona Australis](/source/Corona_Australis)
*[Sagittarius](/source/Sagittarius_(constellation))
*[Serpens](/source/Serpens)
*[Ophiuchus](/source/Ophiuchus)
*[Hercules](/source/Hercules_(constellation))
*[Draco](/source/Draco_(constellation))
}}

==See also==
* [Celestial coordinate system](/source/Celestial_coordinate_system)
* [Ecliptic](/source/Ecliptic)
* [Celestial sphere](/source/Celestial_sphere)
* [Right ascension](/source/Right_ascension)
* [Equinox](/source/Equinox)
* [Solstice](/source/Solstice)

==References==
{{reflist}}
* {{EB1911|wstitle=Colure|volume=6|page=748}}
* {{cite book | first1 = John Brian | last1 = Harley | first2 = David | last2 = Woodward | title = Cartography in the Traditional Islamic and South Asian Societies | series = The History of cartography | volume = 2 | publisher = [University of Chicago Press](/source/University_of_Chicago_Press) | date = 1987 | issue = 1 | isbn = 978-0-226-31635-2 | page = 28 | oclc = 13456456 | ol = 9455351M }}
* {{cite book | author = Geminus | author-link = Geminus | first2 = James | last2 = Evans | first3 = J. L. | last3 = Berggren | title = Geminos's Introduction to the phenomena: a translation and study of a Hellenistic survey of astronomy | publisher = [Princeton University Press](/source/Princeton_University_Press) | date = 2006 | isbn = 978-0-691-12339-4 | page = 130 |oclc = 70232402 | ol = 15978783M }}
* {{cite book | last = Ovason | first = David | title = The Secret Architecture of our Nation's Capital | publisher = [HarperCollins](/source/HarperCollins) | date = 1999 | page = [https://archive.org/details/secretarchitectu00ovas/page/98 98] | isbn = 978-006095368-3 | oclc = 50409366 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/secretarchitectu00ovas/page/98 }}
* Kaler, Jim. "Pi Aurigae." ''[http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/piaur.html Pi Aurigae]''. N.p.&nbsp;22 Feb. 2008. Web.

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Category:Astronomical coordinate systems
Category:Solstices

{{astronomy-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Colure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colure) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colure?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.