# Declination

Also called: Dec.

The sky's “latitude”: degrees north (+) or south (−) of the celestial equator.

Declination runs from +90° at the north celestial pole to −90° at the south. With your latitude it decides whether an object ever rises and how high it gets: an object's highest altitude is 90° minus the difference between your latitude and its declination.

**Related:** [Right ascension](https://astropilot.space/glossary/right-ascension.md), [Circumpolar](https://astropilot.space/glossary/circumpolar.md), [Altitude](https://astropilot.space/glossary/altitude.md)

From the AstroPilot astronomy glossary: https://astropilot.space/glossary/declination