An equator is a hypothetical line that circles the center of a planet or other celestial body. It is located at 0 degrees latitude, midway between the North Pole and the South Pole. An equator divides the world into northern and southern hemispheres. The Earth's equator is the widest point on the planet. It is also the only place where all the continents meet.
The axis of rotation for a planet goes through its center of mass rather than one of its poles. Thus each pole will have an area of strong ice fields and mountains which will receive more sunlight than the rest of the planet. These are called polar caps. On Earth they are made of water molecules covered by layers of ice.
Polar regions are areas on planets with very cold temperatures, no true seasons, and mostly dark skies. They occur on both Mars and Venus, but are most extensive on Venus because it has less iron in its core than Mars does. On Earth, polar regions include the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, as well as Greenland and Antarctica themselves.
At the north and south poles there is only one time zone - since day and night are equal in length here, we need only one time marker to indicate what time it is anywhere on the planet. The equator has two different times - morning here is early afternoon there, and evening here is late afternoon there.
The Earth's equator is a fictitious planetary line 40,075 km (24,901 mi) in circumference. The equator splits the earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and is positioned at 0 degrees latitude, midway between the North and South Poles.
There are actually two equators: one for each hemisphere. They pass through the middle of the planet at equal distances from the center, and as such they divide it into two identical halves. The only difference between the two equators is that they are not parallel to the ground; instead, they form an angle of 45 degrees with it. This is because the surface of the Earth is not flat but instead forms a spheroid—a sphere-like shape. As a result, the distance between the centers of the two hemispheres is not constant but changes depending on where you are on the globe.
At the poles, the distance between the centers of the two hemispheres is shortest, while near the equator it is longest. This is why there are sometimes said to be more northern than southern continents or oceans - because there are more landmasses than water, so there must be more of one thing or another other. For example, there are more points on land than at sea, so there must be more points in the north than in the south.
Another interesting fact about the Earth is that it is not a perfect sphere.
The Equator is the huge unseen circle that circles the Earth and is equidistant from the geographic poles. It lies on a plane perpendicular to the Earth's axis. The Equator separates the Earth's northern and southern hemispheres. It is, in other words, the line with 0 degrees of latitude.
The name comes from the Latin word for "equal distance", which refers to the fact that all places on the Equator are at exactly the same distance from the center of the earth.
It is also called the Prime Meridian or the Greenwich Meridian because the Royal Observatory in London was once located near the point where it crosses the English Channel. Today this role is played by the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C.
Geographically, the Equator divides the world into two equal parts: the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. All places within each hemisphere are either north or south of the Equator. Between them is an area known as the Inter-Tropical Zone, which is dominated by one large continent: Africa.
The Equator passes through the centers of many important cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangkok, and Singapore. It has become a major transportation route, with countries on both sides allowing cargo ships to pass without payment.
The Earth's equator is an imaginary line that goes around the planet at 0 degrees latitude, a distance equal to the distance between the North and South Poles. It is based on the Earth's axis of rotation and its orbit around the sun, much like the other lines of latitude. The Earth's equator divides the globe into two equal parts: the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
The Earth's equator is without hills or valleys. It is also without ice or water except in the form of clouds or ocean. All land masses are located within the two hemispheres, with only small islands scattered across the oceans.
The Earth is not a perfect sphere; it is slightly oblate, which means that it is shaped like a rugby ball. The equator is a great circle on the surface of the Earth, so it will be the shortest route between any two points on the surface. Therefore, all ships (unless they are sailing close to the wind) will travel along the equator unless there is a better way to reach their destination.
It is one of the hottest places on Earth. Average temperatures near the equator are almost always higher than at higher latitudes. This is because heat is lost more rapidly at high altitudes, where there are fewer clouds to block out sunlight.