What is precession of the equinoxes?

1 Answer
A. S. Adikesavan
Mar 30, 2016

The precession of equinoxes is attributed to the revolution of Earth's polar axis, with period 258 centuries, nearly, about a mean position that is perpendicular to Earth's orbital plane ( ecliptic).

Explanation:

In this precession with Great Year period of 258 centuries, the poles describe a circle of angular diameter #46.8^o#, nearly, up on the Earth

Corresponding to this axial precession, the location for the right-above-head noon, at the equinox instant, shifts the equinoxes (common points of the ecliptic and the Earth's equator) towards north by #360^o, in 258 centuries.

Corresponding time-rate is approximately (24 X 3600)/(25800)"/year = 3.35 sec/year.

Importantly, the tilt angle #23.4^o# of the axis to the normal of the ecliptic is unchanged,

Related questions
See all questions in The Earth
Impact of this question
1538 views around the world
You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License