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Ecliptic coordinate system
The
ecliptic coordinate system
is a
celestial coordinate system
commonly used for representing the positions and
orbits
of
Solar System
objects. Because most
planets
(except
Mercury
), and many
small Solar System bodies
have orbits with small
inclinations
to the
ecliptic
, it is convenient to use it as the
fundamental plane
. The system's
origin
can be either the center of the
Sun
or the center of the
Earth
, its primary direction is towards the vernal (northbound)
equinox
, and it has a
right-handed
convention. It may be implemented in
spherical coordinates
or
rectangular coordinates
.
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