Ecliptic New Zealand
Image Credit & Copyright: Tunç Tezel (TWAN)
Posted on 07/10/2010 5:43:08 AM PDT by sig226
Explanation: Four bright celestial beacons and a faint triangle of light follow the plane of the ecliptic as it arcs high through this southern hemisphere night skyscape. Seen on a July winter night from Lake Taupo on New Zealand's North Island, the line-up features Venus, Regulus (alpha star of Leo), Mars, and Saturn from lower left to upper right. Just put your cursor over the picture to identify the planets and constellations. The delicate luminous glow of Zodiacal Light, sunlight scattered by dust along the ecliptic, also rises above the horizon from the lower left. Of course, defined by the path of the Sun through planet Earth's sky, the ecliptic plane rides low during July nights in the northern hemisphere's summer skies. Tomorrow, the Moon and Sun will meet on the ecliptic. Along a track across the southern Pacific Ocean, the daytime sky will feature a total solar eclipse.
Before seeing this, I’d never heard of the Ecliptic. I decided to look around the net to learn more. Now, not only do I still not really know what it is, but I also have a headache. Thanks Sig! ;^) (I should just enjoy the pics and leave the understanding of this stuff to the smart people lol)
The ecliptic is simply the path that the Sun takes across the sky everyday. The rest of our solar system follows on roughly the same path but I believe there is some deviation. There are also the galactic and celestial equators.
That is GORGEOUS, thank you!
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