Published By: Satavisha

Everything You Need To Know About Zodiacal Light

Zodiacal light resembles a cone of hazy light at the horizon, with a brightness comparable to the Milky Way.

Maybe you have already witnessed the zodiacal light but mistook it to be light from a nearby town. Keep reading to learn more about zodiacal light and how you can spot it.

What is zodiacal light?

People earlier thought zodiacal light occurred due to some phenomena taking place in the upper atmosphere. However, it has now become clear that it is caused by sunlight when it reflects dust grains that circle the sun in the inner solar system. These grains are thought to be left behind by the process that created our Earth and the other planets of our solar system, around 4.5 billion years ago. In other words, zodiacal light is a phenomenon of the solar system. The grains of dust are densest around the sun’s vicinity and when the sunlight shines on these grains, a spectacular light is produced which we refer to as zodiacal light.

When and where to look?

The best time to witness zodiacal light is when the ecliptic appears almost perpendicular to the horizon. For the people living in the Northern Hemisphere, the most favorable time to witness the zodiacal light is after sunset, during the months of February and March in the western evening sky. Conversely, for people living in the Southern Hemisphere, the best view in the eastern sky can be witnessed after sunset in August and September. The zodiacal light extends from the eastern horizon, shortly before twilight. The lights are extremely bright and can be easily spotted from latitudes like those in the southern U.S.

Why is it called zodiacal light?

The faint ghostly glow was once thought to be an atmospheric phenomenon but today we know that it is indeed reflected sunlight. The light is not reflected off our atmosphere, but rather from the non-uniform distribution of interplanetary material; most likely debris or leftover from the formation of our solar system. These countless millions of minute dust particles extend outward, beyond the orbit of Mars, and are spread out along the plane of an imaginary line on the sky called the ecliptic. Thus, the phenomenon was named zodiacal light; because it is always seen projected against the zodiac constellations.

When is it most visible?

The best time to witness zodiacal lights from both the Southern and Northern hemispheres is during the evenings of springtime. If you want to see it before dawn then autumn is the best time. No matter where you live on this planet, look for the zodiacal light on the east before dawn and at the time of the autumn equinox.

Are you now ready to chase the zodiacal light?