noun
- either of two great circles on the celestial sphere that pass through the celestial poles
Usage: astronomy
Examples
- The equinoctial colure passes through the equinoxes.
- The solstitial colure intersects the celestial sphere at the solstices.
- Astronomers use colures to map positions on the celestial sphere.
- The two colures divide the celestial sphere into four equal parts.
- Ancient astronomers relied on colures for celestial navigation.