ecliptic system
Quick Summary
The ecliptic is the apparent path of the Sun across the sky throughout the year, as seen from Earth. It is also the projection of Earth's orbit around the Sun onto the celestial sphere. The constellations of the zodiac are located along the ecliptic.1
The ecliptic is tilted at an angle of 23.44° relative to the celestial equator. This tilt is known as the obliquity of the ecliptic. The points where the ecliptic and celestial equator intersect are the vernal and autumnal equinoxes.1
In the ecliptic coordinate system, celestial longitude is measured eastward along the ecliptic from the vernal equinox, and celestial latitude is measured north or south from the ecliptic. The ecliptic system was widely used in Western astronomy before the Renaissance.12
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