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

Not only can’t it directly resolve early galaxies, it can’t even detect their light due to the diffuse glow of “zodiacal light.”

From Singularity Hub 

The New Horizons spacecraft has now escaped the domain of zodiacal light and is gazing at the darkest sky yet imaged.

From Singularity Hub 

The nights have hitherto been clear, and the zodiacal light is always brilliant.

From Project Gutenberg

Westward I saw the zodiacal light mingling with the yellow brilliance of the evening star.

From Project Gutenberg

The zodiacal light is well worth observing at this season of the year.

From Project Gutenberg

The zodiacal light is probably identical with the meteor called trabes by Pliny and Seneca.

From Project Gutenberg

The zodiacal light is probably a dense meteoric ring, or rather, perhaps, a number of rings.

From Project Gutenberg