# Ecliptic

Also called: zodiac.

The Sun's yearly path across the sky — the planets and the Moon always stay close to it.

Because the planets orbit in nearly the same plane as the Earth, they and the Moon wander along a narrow band around the ecliptic, through the zodiac constellations. Its angle to your horizon changes through the year, which is why planets are sometimes high and sometimes skim the horizon.

**Related:** [Planet](https://astropilot.space/glossary/planet.md), [Constellation](https://astropilot.space/glossary/constellation.md), [Celestial sphere](https://astropilot.space/glossary/celestial-sphere.md)

From the AstroPilot astronomy glossary: https://astropilot.space/glossary/ecliptic