Here's why:
* Celestial Equator: This is the projection of Earth's equator onto the celestial sphere. It's an imaginary line in the sky.
* Declination: This is the angular distance of a celestial object north or south of the celestial equator, measured in degrees. Positive declination indicates a location north of the celestial equator, while negative declination indicates a location south.
So, a star 30 degrees north of the celestial equator has a declination of +30 degrees.