sphaera recta

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

• IPA^(key): /ˈsfiːɹə ˈɹɛktə/

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.

• sphaera obliqua

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

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

1. (New Latin) sphaera recta

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