sphaera recta

English

Etymology

First attested in 1932; Latin: sphaera (“sphere”, “globe of the heavens”) + rēcta (feminine nominative singular of rēctus, “right”, “upright”) = “upright sphere”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsfiːɹə ˈɹɛktə/

Noun

sphaera recta (singulare tantum)

1. (astronomy) An idealised conception of the celestial sphere in which the celestial equator is perpendicular to the local horizon and the Sun reaches the zenith at its highest point.
   • 1932, Sir Thomas Little Heath, Greek Astronomy, page 135

     There is a certain region lying to the south of us which is said to be under the equator, where the poles fall on the horizon, and the sphere of the universe stands straight up, as it were (sphaera recta).

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:sphaera recta.

Antonyms

• sphaera obliqua

---

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈspʰae̯.ra ˈreːk.ta/, [ˈs̠pʰäe̯rä ˈreːkt̪ä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈsfe.ra ˈrek.ta/, [ˈsfɛːrä ˈrɛkt̪ä]

Noun

sphaera rēcta f sg (genitive sphaerae rēctae); first declension

1. (New Latin) sphaera recta

Declension

First-declension noun with a first-declension adjective, singular only.

Case	Singular
Nominative	sphaera rēcta
Genitive	sphaerae rēctae
Dative	sphaerae rēctae
Accusative	sphaeram rēctam
Ablative	sphaerā rēctā
Vocative	sphaera rēcta