EQUINOCTIAL

(See Equinox.) The great circle formed by the intersection of the plane of the earth's equator with the sphere of the heavens. This term is chiefly met with in the older books of astronomy, the term equator being now generally given to the same circle. Set Equator. EQUINOCTIAL POINTS The two opposite points of the celestial sphere, in which the ecliptic and equator intersect each other; the one being the first point of Aries, and the other the first point of Libra. The equinoctial points do not retain a fixed position relatively to the stars, but retrograde or move backwards from east to west with a slow motion, equal to about CO seconds yearly, requiring 25,000 years to accomplish a complete revolution. This motion is called the prece ion of the equinoxes. EQUINOX (Lat. a;quus, and nox, night), in Astronomy,is the time at which the sun pa es through the equator in one of the equinoctial points. When the sun is in the equator the days and nights are of equal length all over the world, whence the derivation of the trim. This happens twice every year; namely, about the 21st of March, and the 22d of September: the former is called the vernal and the latter the autumnal equinox. The equinoxes do not divide the year into portions of equal length; for in consequence of the sun being at his greatest distance from the earth during the summer months, and his angular motion in his orbit being consequently slower, the interval from the vernal to Ihe autumnal equinox is greatei than that from the autumnal to the vernal. In other words, the sun continues longer on the northern than on the southern side of the equator. At the beginning of the present century, the difference amounted to 7 days 16 hours and 51 minutes. The summer in the northern hemisphere is consequently longer than in the southern by this quantity and; to this circumstance some meteorologists ascribe, in part at least, the higher temperature that is found to prevaillel of latitude.in the northern hemisphere under Ihe same par alE QUI PAGE (Fr. equipper), in ordinary language, signifies the carriage, horses, and liveries which indicate the fortune or rank of any gentleman when he appears abroad.— Equipage, In marine affairs, signifies the crew of a ship, together with all a ship's furniture, masts, sails, ammunition, . In the art military, it denotes all sorts of utensils and artillery, <fcc, nece ary for commencing and prosecuting with ease or succe any military operation. [s. 428]