Orbital Inclination

Orbital inclination refers to the angle between an object's orbit and a reference plane, often the equatorial plane of a planet or the plane of the Solar System. In simpler terms, it's how tilted the path of a satellite or a planet is compared to a flat baseline. For example, if a satellite's orbit is perfectly aligned with Earth's equator, its inclination is 0 degrees. If it's orbiting at a steep angle, like 90 degrees, it would be going pole to pole. Understanding inclination is important for satellite positioning, space missions, and studying celestial mechanics.