equatorial plane

American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. the plane passing through the equator of the earth or another celestial body.

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Etymology

Origin of equatorial plane

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

During metaphase, the “change phase,” all the chromosomes are aligned in a plane called the metaphase plate, or the equatorial plane, midway between the two poles of the cell.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

During anaphase, the sister chromatids at the equatorial plane are split apart at the centromere.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

During metaphase, all of the chromosomes are aligned in a plane called the metaphase plate, or the equatorial plane, midway between the two poles of the cell.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

Thus every 14 years or so, when the earth passes through Saturn's equatorial plane and astronomers can get an edge-on view of the rings, their glow practically disappears.

From Time Magazine Archive

When a charged particle bounces from one magnetic pole to the other, it must cross the equatorial plane of Saturn.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan