<p>I don't know of a standard term for that quantity, but I'd call it the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecliptic_coordinate_system" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ecliptic latitude</a> of the zenith.
With north positive and south negative, this would reach a minimum at 6:00 and a maximum at 18:00 local <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_time" rel="nofollow noreferrer">sidereal time</a>.
These correspond to local solar noon or midnight at the solstices and occur 2 hours earlier per month.</p>

<p>The vectors perpendicular to the ecliptic are called the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecliptic_pole" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ecliptic poles</a>. The zenith only coincides with one of these on the Arctic or Antarctic circle, at sunrise (winter-spring) or sunset (summer-fall).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-05T17:12:15.183Z
2017-01-05T17:12:15.183Z
Mike G
<p>Every 24 hour day, there is a point as the earth rotates about its axis, where a location on earth is the closest to the ecliptic and where it's the furthest. Do those two points have a name?</p>

<p>What I mean is on the plane of the ecliptic, as the earth rotates around its axis, a point on the earth at 45 deg north is going to hit a low-point perpendicular to that plane, and will hit a high point perpendicular to that plane. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-05T03:40:51.153Z
The Poles do not have such a point.  Any point on the Equator moves equal distances above and below the ecliptic...
DJohnM
<ecliptic>
What's the name of the point where you are closest or furthest from the ecliptic?
Trevor
# What's the name of the point where you are closest or furthest from the ecliptic?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-01-05)

Every 24 hour day, there is a point as the earth rotates about its axis, where a location on earth is the closest to the ecliptic and where it's the furthest. Do those two points have a name?

What I mean is on the plane of the ecliptic, as the earth rotates around its axis, a point on the earth at 45 deg north is going to hit a low-point perpendicular to that plane, and will hit a high point perpendicular to that plane.

**Tags:** ecliptic

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The Poles do not have such a point.  Any point on the Equator moves equal distances above and below the ecliptic...  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-01-05. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

I don't know of a standard term for that quantity, but I'd call it the [ecliptic latitude](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecliptic_coordinate_system) of the zenith.
With north positive and south negative, this would reach a minimum at 6:00 and a maximum at 18:00 local [sidereal time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal_time).
These correspond to local solar noon or midnight at the solstices and occur 2 hours earlier per month.

The vectors perpendicular to the ecliptic are called the [ecliptic poles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecliptic_pole). The zenith only coincides with one of these on the Arctic or Antarctic circle, at sunrise (winter-spring) or sunset (summer-fall).


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