Question

What is ecliptic?

Answer 1

Hint: Zodiac constellations follow a circular path around a planet and remain in the same position while Earth makes its annual journey.

Complete step by step answer:
To understand what the ecliptic is, we need to understand what the constellation is. Constellation is a pattern or cluster of stars in the sky. This cluster of stars grouped and has given a name. Thirteen groups of constellations for zodiac.
The Earth revolves around its axis, making a complete revolution in one day. While rotating around its axis, the Earth revolves around the Sun, making one full trip around the Sun every year. This Earth's movement makes it seem as if the Sun is moving through the stars over the year; this is because, during any given month, the Sun sits between the Earth and a different zodiac constellation. But the Sun is not moving; it's the Earth's movement that makes it seem that the Sun is moving.
To know the fact astronomers track the Sun's apparent path through space. Astronomers draw an imaginary line that passes through the Sun from the Earth and toward the star beyond it. As the Earth moves, this line also moves, while the Sun stays steady in the middle.
As Earth follows its orbit around the Sun, this imaginary line spins, pointing to different stars throughout the complete trip around the Sun, forming an imaginary circle. Astronomers called this imaginary as ecliptic, which tracks the Sun's apparent path through space and the zodiac sits on. Therefore the ecliptic is the imaginary line in space that marks the path of the Sun.

Note:
Eventually, the Earth returns to the position where it started in a year, and the cycle starts over again. The Zodiac constellation remains in the same position while Earth makes its annual journey. Some of the latest constellations are Hercules, Draco, and Pegasus.