What is the ecliptic and how are the zodiac constellations different from the rest of the constellations?
As the Earth moves around the Sun in the plane of the Ecliptic so do the other planets, all at slightly different angles to the plane and with different orbital times so that appear to take the same approximate path as the Sun and our Moon. As the background star patterns change only over millions of years the changing position of the Sun, Moon and planets seem to wander aimlessly about the Zodiac band. The study of these wanderers (Greek planome: I wander) was the forerunner of modern Astronomy and the pseudoscience of Astrology.
