zodiacal light

noun

1. 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.

zodiacal light

noun

1. 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

zodiacal light

/ zō-dī′ə-kəl /

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of zodiacal light¹

First recorded in 1725–35

Example Sentences

Still, severe breakdown has reduced that dust in size so much that it now scatters sunlight efficiently, causing the faint glow in the night sky known as the "zodiacal light."

From Science Daily

Cosmic dust was known to exist in interstellar space for more than a century, supplementing the solar system dust—known from its reflected sunlight, which is observed as zodiacal light.

From Scientific American

The satellite also caught images of zodiacal light, which reflects off faint interplanetary dust that is usually obscured by the brightness of the sun.

From Washington Times

Three other satellites included one that aims to study zodiacal light and image the Milky Way, officials said.

From Seattle Times

Starting in early March and lasting for the next two weeks, keen sky-watchers in the Northern Hemisphere can hunt down one of the most elusive astronomical phenomena: the zodiacal light.

From National Geographic