# Thought experiment: Where would the 'ecliptic equator' be?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-experiment-where-would-the-ecliptic-equator-be/932974>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 15, 2021, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-experiment-where-would-the-ecliptic-equator-be/932974 "2021-02-15T18:06:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-experiment-where-would-the-ecliptic-equator-be/932974/1 "2021-02-15T18:06:47Z")

</div>

That is, if we had a word for the imaginary line where Earth intersects the ecliptic, what countries would it go thru?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![eburacum\_45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum_45/32/3385_2.png) [@eburacum\_45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum_45)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-experiment-where-would-the-ecliptic-equator-be/932974/2 "2021-02-15T18:08:54Z")

</div>

The Tropics? we already have a word for those.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-experiment-where-would-the-ecliptic-equator-be/932974/3 "2021-02-15T18:16:10Z")

</div>

The countries would change as the Earth rotates. Any point between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn will pass through your imaginary line twice per day.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-experiment-where-would-the-ecliptic-equator-be/932974/4 "2021-02-15T18:23:25Z")

</div>

This is a nice map showing the current position of the sun and moon over the earth:

[Day and Night World Map](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/sunearth.html)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-experiment-where-would-the-ecliptic-equator-be/932974/5 "2021-02-15T18:27:29Z")

</div>

Thanks, I can see that now.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-experiment-where-would-the-ecliptic-equator-be/932974/6 "2021-02-15T18:34:52Z")

</div>

> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#):
>
> The countries would change as the Earth rotates. Any point between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn will pass through your imaginary line twice per day.

The orbital plane of the Earth is also inclined about 1° to the invariant plane of the solar system, so the other planets and indeed the rest of the universe appears to bob up and down a bit relative to the ecliptic plane, separate from the 23.4° axial tilt.

Stranger