Axial Tilt - Obliquity of The Ecliptic (Earth's Axial Tilt)

Obliquity of The Ecliptic (Earth's Axial Tilt)

The Earth's orbital plane is known as the ecliptic plane, and the Earth's tilt is known to astronomers as the obliquity of the ecliptic, being the angle between the ecliptic and the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. It is denoted by the Greek letter ε.

The Earth currently has an axial tilt of about 23.4°. This value remains approximately the same relative to a stationary orbital plane throughout the cycles of precession. However, because the ecliptic (i.e. the Earth's orbit) moves due to planetary perturbations, the obliquity of the ecliptic is not a fixed quantity. At present, it is decreasing at a rate of about 47" per century (see below).

Read more about this topic:  Axial Tilt