Ecliptic: meaning, definitions and examples

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ecliptic

 

[ ɪˈklɪptɪk ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

astronomy

The ecliptic is the apparent path of the Sun in the sky, along which eclipses occur. It is the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun.

Synonyms

celestial equator

Examples of usage

  • The Moon always stays near the ecliptic in the sky.
  • Solar and lunar eclipses can only occur when the Moon crosses the ecliptic.

Translations

Translations of the word "ecliptic" in other languages:

🇵🇹 eclíptica

🇮🇳 क्रांतिवृत्त

🇩🇪 Ekliptik

🇮🇩 ekliptika

🇺🇦 екліптика

🇵🇱 ekliptika

🇯🇵 黄道 (こうどう)

🇫🇷 écliptique

🇪🇸 eclíptica

🇹🇷 ekliptik

🇰🇷 황도 (황도)

🇸🇦 مسار الشمس

🇨🇿 ekliptika

🇸🇰 ekliptika

🇨🇳 黄道 (huángdào)

🇸🇮 ekliptika

🇮🇸 sólbraut

🇰🇿 эклиптика

🇬🇪 ეკლიპტიკა

🇦🇿 ekliptika

🇲🇽 eclíptica

Etymology

The word 'ecliptic' comes from the Greek word 'ekleipsis', which means 'abandonment' or 'failing'. It was originally used in ancient astronomy to describe the apparent path of the Sun in the sky. The concept of the ecliptic has been crucial in understanding the movements of celestial bodies and predicting astronomical events.

See also: eclipse.