https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Osmarksexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2026-04-17T20:25:29ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1878:_Earth_Orbital_Diagram&diff=1441911878: Earth Orbital Diagram2017-08-18T14:51:30Z<p>Osmarks: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1878<br />
| date = August 18, 2017<br />
| title = Earth Orbital Diagram<br />
| image = earth_orbital_diagram.png<br />
| titletext = You shouldn't look directly at a partial eclipse because of the damage that can be caused by improperly aligning the solar-lunar orbital plane with the orbital bones around your eye.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Moreover, many of the labels provided are kludged, obfuscated, or simply made up. Compare/contrast with the standard {{w|Kepler orbit|Kepler Orbit}} diagram. Most easily recognizable are the "Dimples of Venus," referring to axis-intersection points in the diagram on Earth.<br />
<br />
=== Explanation ===<br />
<br />
{| class=wikitable<br />
! Word used in the comics<br />
! Meaning of word used<br />
! Actual astronomical term<br />
! Meaning of actual term<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Declension}}<br />
| Inflection of nouns in a language.<br />
| Inclination<br />
| The "tilt" of an orbit<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| Perihelix<br />
| Portmanteau of helix and perihelion<br />
| Perihelion<br />
| Lowest point in a solar orbit<br />
<br />
|}<br />
<br />
This comic is the third consecutive comic published in the week before the {{w|solar eclipse}} occurring on Monday, {{w|Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017|August 21, 2017}} which is a total solar eclipse and visible in totality within a band across the {{w|contiguous United States}} from west to east. The other comics are [[1876: Eclipse Searches]] and [[1877: Eclipse Science]].<br />
<br />
The comic claims that the reason that eclipses don't happen every month is simple to understand by looking at an orbital diagram. Ironically, the cartoon has so many parts and labels which make it far more difficult to understand than is implied. Many of the terms used are also incorrect and have nothing to do with orbital mechanics.<br />
<br />
All these labels are complicated words, some are somewhat related to orbital mechanics ("equinox", "perihelion") while some are just latin sounding nouns.<br />
<br />
The reason why eclipses do not occur every month is because the Moon and Earth do not orbit on a single plane; the moon's orbit has an angle, or ''inclination'' of about 5.145 degrees relative to the ''ecliptic plane'' and therefore only rarely passes directly between the Earth and the Sun. This fact is evident from this diagram, although the numerous labels do not contribute to this explanation and in fact exist only to distract or misinform the reader.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Astronomy]]</div>Osmarkshttps://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1878:_Earth_Orbital_Diagram&diff=1441901878: Earth Orbital Diagram2017-08-18T14:49:46Z<p>Osmarks: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1878<br />
| date = August 18, 2017<br />
| title = Earth Orbital Diagram<br />
| image = earth_orbital_diagram.png<br />
| titletext = You shouldn't look directly at a partial eclipse because of the damage that can be caused by improperly aligning the solar-lunar orbital plane with the orbital bones around your eye.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
Moreover, many of the labels provided are kludged, obfuscated, or simply made up. Compare/contrast with the standard {{w|Kepler orbit|Kepler Orbit}} diagram. Most easily recognizable are the "Dimples of Venus," referring to axis-intersection points in the diagram on Earth.<br />
<br />
=== Explanation ===<br />
<br />
{| class=wikitable<br />
! Word used in the comics<br />
! Meaning<br />
! Actual astronomical term<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Declension}}<br />
| Inflection of nouns in a language.<br />
| Inclination<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Perihelix}}<br />
| The lowest point in an orbit<br />
| Perihelion<br />
<br />
|}<br />
<br />
This comic is the third consecutive comic published in the week before the {{w|solar eclipse}} occurring on Monday, {{w|Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017|August 21, 2017}} which is a total solar eclipse and visible in totality within a band across the {{w|contiguous United States}} from west to east. The other comics are [[1876: Eclipse Searches]] and [[1877: Eclipse Science]].<br />
<br />
The comic claims that the reason that eclipses don't happen every month is simple to understand by looking at an orbital diagram. Ironically, the cartoon has so many parts and labels which make it far more difficult to understand than is implied. Many of the terms used are also incorrect and have nothing to do with orbital mechanics.<br />
<br />
All these labels are complicated words, some are somewhat related to orbital mechanics ("equinox", "perihelion") while some are just latin sounding nouns.<br />
<br />
The reason why eclipses do not occur every month is because the Moon and Earth do not orbit on a single plane; the moon's orbit has an angle, or ''inclination'' of about 5.145 degrees relative to the ''ecliptic plane'' and therefore only rarely passes directly between the Earth and the Sun. This fact is evident from this diagram, although the numerous labels do not contribute to this explanation and in fact exist only to distract or misinform the reader.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Astronomy]]</div>Osmarks