MADE USE OF IN ASTRONOMY.
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Latitude of a place, is its distance from the equator,reckoned in degrees, minutes, &c. upon the arc of agreat circle which is perpendicular to it.
Latitude of a star or planet, is its distance from theecliptic, reckoned ia degrees, minutes, &c. upon the arcof a great circle which is perpendicular to it.
Leap Year, the fame with Bissextile; so called fromthere being a day more in that year than in a commonone.
Leo, the Lion, a zodiacal constellation consisting ofninety-one stars,
Leo Minor, the Little Lion, a northern constellationconsisting of twenty stars.
Lesser Circles of the sphere, are those whose planes donot pass through its center.
Le pus, the Hare, a southern constellation composed oftwenty-five stars.
Libra, the Balance, one of the twelve signs of the zodiac,into which the fun comes about the 20th of September,or the beginning of autumn,
Libration, an apparent irregularity of the moon’s mo-tion, which makes her appear to librate about her axisin such a manner that the parts of her eastern andwestern limbs become visible and invisible alternately.
Lynx, a northern constellation consisting of sisty-sivestars.
Lizard, a northern constellation, consisting of twelvestars.
Longitude of a place, is its distance east or west fromthe first meridian, reckoned in degrees, minutes, &c,upon the equator,
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