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ecliptic

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ecliptic


  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Ecliptic  \E*clip"tic\,  n.  [Cf.  F.  ['e]cliptique,  L.  linea 
  ecliptica,  Gr  ?,  prop.  adj.,  of  an  eclipse,  because  in  this 
  circle  eclipses  of  the  sun  and  moon  take  place  See 
  {Ecliptic},  a.] 
  1.  (Astron.)  A  great  circle  of  the  celestial  sphere,  making 
  an  angle  with  the  equinoctial  of  about  23[deg]  28'.  It  is 
  the  apparent  path  of  the  sun,  or  the  real  path  of  the 
  earth  as  seen  from  the  sun. 
 
  2.  (Geog.)  A  great  circle  drawn  on  a  terrestrial  globe, 
  making  an  angle  of  23[deg]  28'  with  the  equator;  --  used 
  for  illustrating  and  solving  astronomical  problems. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Ecliptic  \E*clip"tic\,  a.  [L.  eclipticus  belonging  to  an 
  eclipse,  Gr  ?.  See  {Eclipse}.] 
  1.  Pertaining  to  the  ecliptic;  as  the  ecliptic  way 
 
  2.  Pertaining  to  an  eclipse  or  to  eclipses. 
 
  {Lunar  ecliptic  limit}  (Astron.),  the  space  of  12[deg]  on  the 
  moon's  orbit  from  the  node,  within  which  if  the  moon 
  happens  to  be  at  full,  it  will  be  eclipsed. 
 
  {Solar  ecliptic  limit},  the  space  of  17[deg]  from  the  lunar 
  node,  within  which  if  a  conjunction  of  the  sun  and  moon 
  occur,  the  sun  will  be  eclipsed. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  ecliptic 
  n  :  the  great  circle  representing  the  apparent  annual  path  of 
  the  sun;  the  plane  of  the  Earth's  orbit  around  the  sun; 
  makes  an  angle  of  about  23  degrees  with  the  equator;  "all 
  of  the  planets  rotate  the  sun  in  approximately  the  same 
  ecliptic" 




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