zodiacal light


noun

a luminous tract in the sky, seen in the west after sunset or in the east before sunrise and thought to be the light reflected from a cloud of meteoric matter revolving round the sun.

Origin of zodiacal light

First recorded in 1725–35

Words nearby zodiacal light

British Dictionary definitions for zodiacal light

zodiacal light

noun

a very faint cone of light in the sky, visible in the east just before sunrise and in the west just after sunset. It is probably due to the reflection of sunlight from cosmic dust in the plane of the ecliptic

Scientific definitions for zodiacal light

zodiacal light
[ zō-dīə-kəl ]

A faint hazy cone of light, often visible in the west just after sunset or in the east just before sunrise, and elongated in the direction of the ecliptic on each side of the Sun. It is apparently caused by the reflection of sunlight from meteoric particles in the plane of the ecliptic.