The celestial equator intersects another useful great circle, the ecliptic. On the equator observers see one half of every object's full 24-hour path around them, so the Sun and every other star is above the horizon for exactly 12 hours for every day of the year. The celestial equator is currently inclined by about 23.44° to the ecliptic plane. The image shows the relations between Earth's axial tilt (or obliquity), rotation axis, and orbital plane. The ecliptic is the mean plane of the apparent path in the Earth's sky that the Sun follows over the course of one year; it is the basis of the ecliptic coordinate system.This plane of reference is coplanar with Earth's orbit around the Sun (and hence the Sun's apparent path around Earth). the great circle of the celestial sphere that is the apparent path of the sun among the stars or of the earth as seen from the sun : the plane of the earth's orbit extended to meet the celestial sphere Equator (q) 2. Following the co-odinate system referenced to the Equator (q), one can form a spherical triangle with g, p & q as arcs & the angle …

Since the ecliptic is tilted 23.5 degrees with respect to the celestial equator, the Sun's maximum angular distance from the celestial equator is 23.5 degrees. As Earth orbits the Sun, the constantly changing direction from which the Sun is viewed causes it to trace out the ecliptic. See more. Ecliptic definition is - of or relating to the ecliptic or an eclipse. Galactic plane or equator (g) are separate & distinct great circles on the Celestial sphere. The red circle is the Sun's apparent path around the sky, which defines the ecliptic. Tom Ruen / CC BY-SA 3.0. From mid-latitudes, the celestial equator stands midway between the horizon and overhead point, while from the poles the celestial equator encircles the horizon.

Celestial equator definition, the great circle of the celestial sphere, lying in the same plane as the earth's equator. Ecliptic (p) 3. …great circle, is called the celestial equator.

The celestial equator is the great circle of the imaginary celestial sphere on the same plane as the equator of Earth. 1.