Orbital inclination

Orbital inclination is the angle between an orbit’s plane and a specified reference plane, commonly a planet’s equator or the ecliptic. It describes the orbit’s orientation, not its shape or size.

Orbital plane: The geometric plane containing an orbit around a central body. Inclination measures the tilt of this plane relative to a chosen reference plane.
Inclination (geometry): The angle between a line or plane and a chosen reference direction or plane. Orbital inclination applies this geometric idea to two planes.
Polar orbit: An orbit whose plane passes nearly over both poles of its central body. Its inclination is close to 90 degrees relative to the equator.
Orbital eccentricity: A measure of how much an orbit departs from a circle. Eccentricity describes orbital shape, whereas inclination describes orbital-plane orientation.
Ecliptic: The plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun, commonly used as a reference plane in astronomy. Solar-system inclinations are often measured relative to this plane.
Ascending node: The point where an orbiting body crosses a reference plane from south to north. Inclination is measured between the planes whose intersection runs through the nodes.
Geostationary orbit: A circular equatorial Earth orbit in which a satellite remains fixed over one longitude. Its defining geometry requires near-zero inclination to Earth's equator.
Orbital eccentric anomaly: An angular parameter used to locate a body on an elliptical orbit. It locates orbital position rather than describing the plane’s tilt.
Celestial equator: The projection of Earth’s equatorial plane onto the celestial sphere. Many satellite inclinations are measured from Earth’s equatorial plane.
Descending node: The point where an orbiting body crosses a reference plane from north to south. It marks the other intersection of the orbit with the reference plane.

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