<blockquote>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/316mj.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/316mj.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a>
  This is Venus, high in the morning sky, amid the faint pillar of light called the Zodiacal Light. The glow is sunlight reflected off cometary dust in the inner solar system.<br>
  Above is the centre of the Galaxy area of Sagittarius.  <a href="https://amazingsky.net/2014/04/06/venus-in-the-zodiacal-light/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Alan Dyer</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Since the  <a href="https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/zodiacal-lights-mystery-solved/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Zodiacal Light</a> lies in the ecliptic plane, the orientation of the Solar system in the Galaxy is something like <a href="http://www.xenology.info/Xeno/4.3.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this</a>:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/bj6aX.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/bj6aX.gif" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>The Sun moves <a href="http://espg.sr.unh.edu/ism/LISM.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">through the local interstellar gas cloud approximately into the direction of Scorpio with a speed of about 25 km/sec</a>.</p>

<p>Since Scorpio is fairly close to the galactic center (Sagittarius), the Solar System is moving approximately edge-on through the gas cloud as in the NASA diagram.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Vcqba.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Vcqba.png" alt="enter image description here"></a><br>
(Image: NASA, ESA, Z. Levay (STScI) and A. Fujii)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-06T23:57:57.903Z
How does this address the text of the question and orientation of the heliosheath relative to the ecliptic?
ProfRob
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-04T23:12:33.270Z
2019-03-10T18:30:20.520Z
2019-03-10T18:30:20.520Z
Keith McClary
<p>The Sun is heading in the direction of the constellation Hercules: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_apex" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_apex</a></p>

<p>It's about 30 degrees above the Ecliptic, meaning the Sun's direction of motion is tilted by about 30 degrees from the plane of Earth's orbit.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-08T07:18:06.203Z
How does this address the question, which concerns the relative orientation of the ecliptic and heliosheath?
ProfRob
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-07T12:28:18.403Z
2019-03-07T12:28:18.403Z
TheBigH
<p>I saw the picture and seem incorrectly drawn. Its shows the the edge of the solar system leading facing the Heliosheath. It would not be like NASA to post something as incorrect as this. The solar system should at 60 degrees to the direction of travel?
I'm not sure maybe this picture is correct?
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Qjyak.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Qjyak.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a><a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/784/nasas-voyager-2-probe-enters-interstellar-space/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/784/nasas-voyager-2-probe-enters-interstellar-space/</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-04T20:32:56.233Z
What seems “off” to you? Can you be more explicit?
Chappo Hasn't Forgotten
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-08T07:21:41.233Z
Your question title is unhelpful (and would be a duplicate), which explains why you are not getting an answer. The problem as I see it, is that you might expect the orientation of the heliosheath to match the direction of travel of the Sun in the galaxy. But the way that the solar system is drawn in your picture suggests otherwise.
ProfRob
<solar-system><astrophysics>
What is the solar system orientation to its direction of travel?
Muze
# What is the solar system orientation to its direction of travel?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-03-04)

I saw the picture and seem incorrectly drawn. Its shows the the edge of the solar system leading facing the Heliosheath. It would not be like NASA to post something as incorrect as this. The solar system should at 60 degrees to the direction of travel?
I'm not sure maybe this picture is correct?
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Qjyak.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/Qjyak.jpg)<https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/784/nasas-voyager-2-probe-enters-interstellar-space/>

**Tags:** solar-system, astrophysics

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: What seems “off” to you? Can you be more explicit?  
> **username_2**: Your question title is unhelpful (and would be a duplicate), which explains why you are not getting an answer. The problem as I see it, is that you might expect the orientation of the heliosheath to match the direction of travel of the Sun in the galaxy. But the way that the solar system is drawn in your picture suggests otherwise.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-03-04. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

> [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/316mj.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/316mj.jpg)
> This is Venus, high in the morning sky, amid the faint pillar of light called the Zodiacal Light. The glow is sunlight reflected off cometary dust in the inner solar system.  
> Above is the centre of the Galaxy area of Sagittarius. [Alan Dyer](https://amazingsky.net/2014/04/06/venus-in-the-zodiacal-light/)

Since the [Zodiacal Light](https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/zodiacal-lights-mystery-solved/) lies in the ecliptic plane, the orientation of the Solar system in the Galaxy is something like [this](http://www.xenology.info/Xeno/4.3.htm):

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/bj6aX.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/bj6aX.gif)

The Sun moves [through the local interstellar gas cloud approximately into the direction of Scorpio with a speed of about 25 km/sec](http://espg.sr.unh.edu/ism/LISM.html).

Since Scorpio is fairly close to the galactic center (Sagittarius), the Solar System is moving approximately edge-on through the gas cloud as in the NASA diagram.
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Vcqba.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/Vcqba.png)  
(Image: NASA, ESA, Z. Levay (STScI) and A. Fujii)

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: How does this address the text of the question and orientation of the heliosheath relative to the ecliptic?  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2019-03-07. Score: 4

The Sun is heading in the direction of the constellation Hercules: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_apex>

It's about 30 degrees above the Ecliptic, meaning the Sun's direction of motion is tilted by about 30 degrees from the plane of Earth's orbit.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: How does this address the question, which concerns the relative orientation of the ecliptic and heliosheath?  

---

