Was the moon's orbit in the same plane as Earth's orbit around the sun and why are the ecliptic and celestial equator not the same great circle?
The motion of a central body around the galactic center compels its planetary and satellite bodies to orbit about the central body and spin about their axes in the plane of the central body's motion. See: http://vixra.org/pdf/1008.0010v2.pdf and Article Planetary spin
The Moon's orbit is tilted about 5 degrees compared to the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun. Because of this tilt, the Moon as seen from Earth's perspective usually passes above or below the Sun when it passes between us and the Sun. That's because the Moon does not orbit in the same plane that the Sun and Earth are in (known as the ecliptic plane). Instead, the Moon's orbit around Earth is tilted (or inclined) by about five degrees. During the new moon, the Moon usually passes below or above the Sun, and its shadow misses Earth. If the moon orbited Earth in the same orbital plane in which Earth orbits the sun, an eclipse of the sun and an eclipse of the moon would each happen every month. The Moon's orbital plane intersects with Earth's orbital plane (ecliptic) at a 5° angle. The points or line where two planes intersect. Eclipses are favorable to occur when the nodes align with the Sun. The original cloud was spinning, and this spin caused it to flatten out into a disk shape. The sun and planets are believed to have formed out of this disk, which is why, today, the planets still orbit in a single plane around our sun. The orbital path of the earth around the sun and that of the moon around the earth is not in the same plane. The moon's revolutionary orbit makes an angle of about 5° with that of the earth. Therefore, the sun, the moon, and the earth do not lie in one and the same line on every full moon day and new moon day. This “co-planar” orbital motion is due to the fact that during the formation of the Solar System from a cloud of collapsing gas and dust the Sun and planets settled into a disk structure. Due to Earth's axial tilt, the celestial equator is currently inclined by about 23.44° with respect to the ecliptic (the plane of Earth's orbit), but has varied from about 22.0° to 24.5° over the past 5 million years due to perturbation from other planets. Just as the ecliptic plane extends out in an infinite circle from Earth's orbit around the Sun, the celestial equator extends out in an infinite circle from Earth's equator, which is tilted 23.4° from our planet's orbital plane. A curious observer would like to know about the relative position of the celestial equator and the ecliptic. The truth is that they don't lie on the same plane. Instead the ecliptic is inclined at an angle of 23 1/2 o to the celestial equator. This inclination of 23 1/2 o is called the obliquity of the ecliptic. The two points where the ecliptic intersects the celestial equator that is, where Earth's rotation axis is perpendicular to the line joining Earth to the Sun are known as equinoxes. On those dates, day and night are of equal duration. As the sun revolves around the ecliptic, it intersects the celestial equator twice during a year at two points. These points are called the equinoxes: vernal and autumnal. During an equinox, the length of daytime is almost equal to the length of nighttime.
Confirm the logic of the moon orbiting around the earth while the earth itself is translated through its orbit about the sun.
The ecliptic plane is inclined at 23.5° with respect to the celestial equator because of the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis with respect to the plane of its orbit around the sun. Due to Earth's axial tilt, the celestial equator is currently inclined by about 23.44° with respect to the ecliptic (the plane of Earth's orbit), but has varied from about 22.0° to 24.5° over the past 5 million years due to perturbation from other planets. Just as the ecliptic plane extends out in an infinite circle from Earth's orbit around the Sun, the celestial equator extends out in an infinite circle from Earth's equator, which is tilted 23.4° from our planet's orbital plane. The Ecliptic is not the same as the celestial equator. It is tilted at 23.5 degrees to the equator, the tilt, or "OBLIQUITY" of the Ecliptic, the angle that the Earth's axis is tilted to the plane of its orbit around the Sun. The celestial equator is the projection of Earth's equator onto the sky whereas the ecliptic is the Sun's apparent annual path in the sky. These two circles are separated by an angle of 23.5°. The two points where the ecliptic intersects the celestial equator that is, where Earth's rotation axis is perpendicular to the line joining Earth to the Sun are known as equinoxes. On those dates, day and night are of equal duration. The celestial equator is currently inclined by about 23.44° to the ecliptic plane. The image shows the relations between Earth's axial tilt (or obliquity), rotation axis, and orbital plane. The ecliptic is the region of sky (region of the celestial sphere) through which the Sun appears to move over the course of a year. This apparent motion is caused by the Earth's orbit around the Sun, so the ecliptic corresponds to the projection of the Earth's orbital plane on the celestial sphere. In our night sky, this equator is called the celestial equator. The celestial equator is an extension of Earth's equator in the sky. The celestial equator divides the sky into the northern and southern hemispheres, just as Earth's equator does. The Moon does not orbit in exactly the same plane as the Earth. The angle between the orbital planes of the Earth and Moon is about 5°. That's because the Moon does not orbit in the same plane that the Sun and Earth are in. Instead, the Moon's orbit around Earth is tilted (or inclined) by about five degrees. During the new moon, the Moon usually passes below or above the Sun, and its shadow misses Earth. If the moon orbited in the same plane as the ecliptic – Earth's orbital plane – we would have a minimum of two eclipses every month. There'd be an eclipse of the moon at every full moon. And, approximately two weeks later there'd be an eclipse of the sun at new moon for a total of at least 24 eclipses every year. The Moon's orbit around Earth has many variations (perturbations) due to the gravitational attraction of the Sun and planets, the study of which (lunar theory) has a long history.The Moon's orbital plane intersects with Earth's orbital plane (ecliptic) at a 5° angle. The points or line where two planes intersect. Eclipses are favorable to occur when the nodes align with the Sun.
he Moon's orbit is not in the same plane as Earth's orbit around the Sun. The Moon's orbit is tilted by 5.1 degrees relative to the ecliptic, which is the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun. This means that the Moon spends most of its time above or below the ecliptic. It crosses the ecliptic twice each orbit: once going upward and once downward from our point of view.
The ecliptic is not the same great circle as the celestial equator because Earth's axis of rotation is tilted by 23.5 degrees relative to the plane of its orbit. This tilt causes Earth to experience seasons. The celestial equator is the imaginary line that circles Earth halfway between the North and South Poles. It is perpendicular to Earth's axis of rotation.
The Moon's orbit is thought to have tilted because of the gravitational pull of the Sun and other planets. Over time, this pull caused the Moon's orbit to drift away from the ecliptic plane.
The inclination of the Moon's orbit is one of the reasons why eclipses are not more common. Eclipses only occur when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are aligned in a straight line. This can only happen when the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic plane.
The inclination of the Moon's orbit also affects the Moon's phases. The Moon's phases are caused by the different ways that the Sun's light reflects off of the Moon's surface. The Moon's orbit around Earth determines which part of the Moon is facing the Sun. Because the Moon's orbit is tilted, different parts of the Moon are exposed to the Sun at different times. This is why the Moon appears to go through different phases.
Yes, due to Earth's axial tilt, the celestial equator is currently inclined by about 23.44° with respect to the ecliptic (the plane of Earth's orbit), but has varied from about 22.0° to 24.5° over the past 5 million years due to perturbation from other planets.The ecliptic plane is inclined at 23.5° with respect to the celestial equator because of the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis with respect to the plane of its orbit around the sun. Celestial equator is the great circle in which the plane of the terrestrial Equator intersects the celestial sphere; it consequently is equidistant from the celestial poles. When the Sun lies in its plane, day and night are everywhere of equal length, a twice-per-year occurrence. Just as the ecliptic plane extends out in an infinite circle from Earth's orbit around the Sun, the celestial equator extends out in an infinite circle from Earth's equator, which is tilted 23.4° from our planet's orbital plane. Just as the ecliptic plane extends out in an infinite circle from Earth's orbit around the Sun, the celestial equator extends out in an infinite circle from Earth's equator, which is tilted 23.4° from our planet's orbital plane. The celestial equator is the projection of Earth's equator onto the sky whereas the ecliptic is the Sun's apparent annual path in the sky. These two circles are separated by an angle of 23.5° (see Figure 2.7, The Celestial Tilt). The only line of latitude, or parallel, characterized as a great circle is the equator because it passes through the exact center of the Earth and divides it in half. The two points where the ecliptic intersects the celestial equator that is, where Earth's rotation axis is perpendicular to the line joining Earth to the Sun are known as equinoxes. On those dates, day and night are of equal duration. That's because the Moon does not orbit in the same plane that the Sun and Earth are in (known as the ecliptic plane). Instead, the Moon's orbit around Earth is tilted (or inclined) by about five degrees. During the new moon, the Moon usually passes below or above the Sun, and its shadow misses Earth. If the moon orbited in the same plane as the ecliptic Earth’s orbital plane we would have a minimum of two eclipses every month. There'd be an eclipse of the moon at every full moon. And, approximately two weeks later there'd be an eclipse of the sun at new moon for a total of at least 24 eclipses every year. The Moon's orbital plane intersects with Earth's orbital plane (ecliptic) at a 5° angle. The points or line where two planes intersect. Eclipses are favorable to occur when the nodes align with the Sun. The orbital path of the earth around the sun and that of the moon around the earth is not in the same plane. The moon's revolutionary orbit makes an angle of about 5° with that of the earth. Therefore, the sun, the moon, and the earth do not lie in one and the same line on every full moon day and new moon day.