orbital tilt
Planet's spin angle
Orbital tilt is the angle between a planet's orbital plane and some reference plane, typically the ecliptic (Earth's orbital plane around the Sun).
Not to be confused with axial tilt, which describes the angle of a planet's rotational axis.
Orbital tilt matters for understanding how planetary systems formed and how objects interact gravitationally: Pluto's orbital tilt of 17 degrees sets it apart from the major planets.
- axialAlong a rotation line
- inclinationDisposition toward something
- obliquityAngular deviation from perpendicular
- eclipticSun's apparent annual path
- rotationTurning on an axis
wobble · axis · spin · spinning top · equinox · solstice · seasonal shift · seasons · midnight sun · ice ages · North Pole · tipped · slant · angle · celestial · planetary · Earth · poles
- PlutoPluto, Charon, dwarf planet, Hydra, Styx