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Actually, it doesn't do so; if it did, there would be a lunar eclipse and a solar eclipse every month. The moon orbits NEAR the ecliptic plane, but not actually in it. The moon's orbit doesn't change because there's no reason for it to change (strictly speaking, it is changing, but it's doing so very, very slowly).
What else can I help you with?
What is the region of the sky where the moon and planets appear?
The Moon, Sun and planets all appear in a strip of sky called the ecliptic. It is a plane defined by the plane of the Earth's orbit and the Sun is always on the ecliptic, while the Moon and planets stay close to it.
What is the importance of the five degree difference in the orbital planes of the Moon and Earth?
If the plane of the Moon's orbit were not tilted as compared to the ecliptic (the special name used for the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun) then there would be total solar eclipses at every new moon, and total lunar eclipses at every full moon. If the angle between the Moon's orbit and the ecliptic were more than it is, we would see fewer and shorter eclipses than we do.
The moon and visible planets are always within a few degrees of the ecliptic?
Yes, the moon and visible planets in our solar system are typically within a few degrees of the ecliptic, which is the plane of Earth's orbit around the sun. This is because they all orbit the sun in roughly the same plane, so they appear to move along the same path in the sky as seen from Earth.
How large is the angle between the Earth's orbit and the moon's orbit?
The Moon's orbit is tilted about 5.145 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic, Earth's orbital plane around the Sun. (The tilt is between 18.3 degrees and 28.6 degrees to Earth's equator.) If you want an answer for your homework or whatever, the answer is about a 5 degree angle between the Moon's orbit and the Earth's orbit. -My source is; Page 27, Chapter 1, Section 2, of the Science Explorer-ASTRONOMY Text book.
What is the approximate tilt of the moon's orbit?
The moon's orbit is tilted about 5 degrees relative to the Earth's orbital plane, known as the ecliptic plane. This tilt is significant because it affects the occurrence of eclipses; eclipses can only happen when the moon crosses this plane during its new or full phases. The inclination of the moon's orbit is stable but can experience slight variations over long periods due to gravitational interactions with other celestial bodies.
What is the Moon's orbital plane?
The ecliptic. Because it is the plane that contains the earth as it orbits the sun, by definition it is also the plane that contains the sun as we observe it in its yearly journey through the stars.
Does Earth have a tilted orbit?
No. The Earth's orbit is absolutely parallel to the plane of the ecliptic. Of course, the Earth's orbit is DEFINED as the plane of the ecliptic, so this should be no surprise. All of the other planetary orbits are tilted to the plane of the ecliptic, but not by a whole lot. The Moon's orbit, for example, is tilted about 5 degrees to the ecliptic. The axis of the Earth's spin, however, IS tilted by 23.5 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic.
Why are't all eclipse total eclipse?
The Earth orbits the Sun. The plane of the Earth's orbit is called the "ecliptic". The Moon has its own orbit around the Earth, and its own orbital plane. If the plane of the Moon's orbit was the same as the plane of the Earth's orbit, then there WOULD be solar eclipses at every new moon, and lunar eclipses at every full moon. But the plane of the Moon's orbit is NOT the same as the plane of the Earth's orbit - and really, why would they be? The Moon's orbital plane is inclined by about 5 degrees from the ecliptic. Therefore, eclipses only happen at full and new moons about every six months, when the Moon happens to be crossing the ecliptic.
How is the moons orbit positioned relative to the eclptic?
The Moon's orbit is inclined by just over 5 degrees to ecliptic plane.
What is the region of the sky where the moon and planets appear?
The Moon, Sun and planets all appear in a strip of sky called the ecliptic. It is a plane defined by the plane of the Earth's orbit and the Sun is always on the ecliptic, while the Moon and planets stay close to it.
What is the Moon's nodal cycle?
The lunar nodes are the orbital nodes of the Moon, that is, the points where the orbit of the Moon crosses the ecliptic. The ascending node is where the moon crosses to the north of the ecliptic. The descending node is where it crosses to the south.
Why do not eclipses occur on every full moon and new moon days?
Because the orbit of the Moon has a variable angle compared to the ecliptic plane.
Why doesn't lunar eclipse occur every month?
The plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun is called the "ecliptic". Most of the other planets and moons orbit in planes that are close to the ecliptic, but none of them have orbital planes that are exactly the same. The Moon's orbital plane is about 8 degrees angled to the ecliptic. So most times, the Moon is either above the ecliptic at the new or full, or below it. It is only when the new moon is on the eclliptic that we have a solar eclipse, and only when the full moon is on the ecliptic that we have a lunar eclipse.
Why doesn't a lunar eclipse happen every time there is a full moon?
Because the moon's orbit is slightly inclined from the plane of the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the path that the sun appears to follow in the sky, caused by the path of the earth's orbit around the sun. The moon's orbit is inclined about 5 degrees from the plane of the earth's orbit around the sun. The moon crosses the ecliptic about twice per month. If this happens during a new moon, a solar eclipse occurs, during a full moon, a lunar eclipse occurs. http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/time/moonorbit.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecliptic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon
What must the phase of the moon be for the occurrence of an eclipse of the sun?
It must be New Moon but also the Moon must be at one of its nodes, i.e. crossing the ecliptic, because its orbit is tilted relative to the ecliptic, which is the plane of the Earth's orbit. Usually at New Moon the Moon passes above or below the Sun and there is no eclipse.
What is the importance of the five degree difference in the orbital planes of the Moon and Earth?
If the plane of the Moon's orbit were not tilted as compared to the ecliptic (the special name used for the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun) then there would be total solar eclipses at every new moon, and total lunar eclipses at every full moon. If the angle between the Moon's orbit and the ecliptic were more than it is, we would see fewer and shorter eclipses than we do.
Why are there not 12 solar or lunar eclipses a year?
Because the Moon's orbital plane isn't exactly the same as the Earth's orbital plane. The Moon's orbit is a bit tilted compared to the ecliptic, so we only have eclipses when the Moon happens to be either new or full just as the Moon passes through the ecliptic.
