It divides the globe into a northern half and a southern hall. . The Circles of Declination (DEC). These circles begin at the celestial equator and are the equivalent of the Earth's circles of latitude projected onto the globe. The DEC at the equator is zero degrees, at the NCP it is +90 degrees and at the SCP it is -90 degrees. . The Circles of Right Ascension (RA). These circles are analogous to the Earth's lines of longitude but are divided into 24 hours (15 degrees each). We measure RA with respect to where the Sun is located on the globe when it crosses the Celestial Equator moving northward. The Sun's RA is zero hours at that moment. RA increases counter-clockwise when viewed from above the NCP. . The Ecliptic. The annual path of the Sun around the globe. Total eclipses of the Sun occur only when the Moon crosses the ecliptic and covers the Sun completely. The Ecliptic intersects the Celestial Equator at two places, at zero hours RA and at 12 hours RA. At six hours RA, the Ecliptic has a DEC of 23.5 degrees; at 18 hours RA, its DEC is -23.5 degrees. The Moon and planets are never seen far from the Ecliptic