| ecliptic | has definition Apparent linear path through the 12 constellations of the zodiac that the Sun seems to take during one Earth year, also representing therefore the "edge" of the plane of Earth's orbit. Because the equator of the Earth is at an angle of more than 22° to the plane of its orbit, the ecliptic is at the identical angle to the celestial equator, intersecting it at two points: the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. |  |
| has definition Plane of the Earth's orbit. (Strictly speaking, the ecliptic is a mathematical fiction corresponding not to the actual plane of the Earth's orbit, but to one with all minor irregularities smoothed out.) | |
| has definition The mean plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun. | |
| is a kind of plane | |
| plane | has dimensions 2 | |
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