<p>The plane that contains the orbit of the Earth is known as the "ecliptic". The rotation of the sun is tilted by 7.25 degrees to the ecliptic, and this value does not vary over time.</p>

<p>The rotation of the Earth is also tilted, by 23.45 degrees to the ecliptic, it is this angle that causes seasons.</p>

<p>An old paper <a href="http://adsbit.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?bibcode=1921PA.....29..325H&amp;db_key=AST&amp;page_ind=0&amp;data_type=GIF&amp;type=SCREEN_VIEW&amp;classic=YES" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Position of the Sun's axis</a> describes how the Earth crosses the solar equator on June 4th and Dec. 6th each year.</p>

<p>Nasa has a <a href="http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/sunfact.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">factsheet</a>, that has this and other information about our nearest star.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-20T12:32:08.960Z
It must have been a very interesting experiment indeed that was used to measure the axis of rotation of the Sun.  I'm just guessing that points of reference were hard to find.
scottb
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-20T16:15:26.630Z
You can measure the velocity of the sun's surface by the doppler effect, The parts of the sun that are rotating towards us are blue shifted. That lets you measure the velocity all around the sun, and so find the solar axis and equator.
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-30T08:49:25.590Z
It is an Earth-centric thing to ask (which is fine). Does Jupiter, the heaviest planet, orbit over the Sun's equator? More generally, what is the angle between the Sun's axis and the angular momentum of the entire Solar system (including planets in more or less tilted orbits)?
Jeppe Stig Nielsen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-28T00:28:45.143Z
@scottb One can “easily” measure the rotation of the Sun by observing sunspots. (CAUTION: Never look directly at the Sun, with the naked eye or with a telescope, without using a proper filter.)
Pierre Paquette
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-18T17:44:52.297Z
2018-04-16T11:24:43.937Z
2018-04-16T11:24:43.937Z
James K
<p>I want to know the angle between the plane that passes through the centre of sun and is perpendicular to its spin axis, and the plane that contains the orbit of earth around sun?</p>

<p>Is this a fixed value or it is variable over time (and if so, how does it vary) ! </p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/5LdTe.gif" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/5LdTe.gif" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-24T09:57:04.917Z
Great question BTW!
Fattie
<the-sun><earth><distances><angular-diameter>
What is the angle between the equator of the sun, and the plane of the Earth's orbit
Fereydoon Shekofte
# What is the angle between the equator of the sun, and the plane of the Earth's orbit

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-09-18)

I want to know the angle between the plane that passes through the centre of sun and is perpendicular to its spin axis, and the plane that contains the orbit of earth around sun?

Is this a fixed value or it is variable over time (and if so, how does it vary) !

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/5LdTe.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/5LdTe.gif)

**Tags:** the-sun, earth, distances, angular-diameter
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Great question BTW!  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-09-18. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

The plane that contains the orbit of the Earth is known as the "ecliptic". The rotation of the sun is tilted by 7.25 degrees to the ecliptic, and this value does not vary over time.

The rotation of the Earth is also tilted, by 23.45 degrees to the ecliptic, it is this angle that causes seasons.

An old paper [Position of the Sun's axis](http://adsbit.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?bibcode=1921PA.....29..325H&db_key=AST&page_ind=0&data_type=GIF&type=SCREEN_VIEW&classic=YES) describes how the Earth crosses the solar equator on June 4th and Dec. 6th each year.

Nasa has a [factsheet](http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/sunfact.html), that has this and other information about our nearest star.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: It must have been a very interesting experiment indeed that was used to measure the axis of rotation of the Sun.  I'm just guessing that points of reference were hard to find.  
> **username_2**: You can measure the velocity of the sun's surface by the doppler effect, The parts of the sun that are rotating towards us are blue shifted. That lets you measure the velocity all around the sun, and so find the solar axis and equator.  
> **username_4**: It is an Earth-centric thing to ask (which is fine). Does Jupiter, the heaviest planet, orbit over the Sun's equator? More generally, what is the angle between the Sun's axis and the angular momentum of the entire Solar system (including planets in more or less tilted orbits)?  
> **username_5**: @scottb One can “easily” measure the rotation of the Sun by observing sunspots. (CAUTION: Never look directly at the Sun, with the naked eye or with a telescope, without using a proper filter.)  

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