What shape is the ecliptic as seen from Earth?

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SUMMARY

The ecliptic, as observed from Earth, is circular in shape when viewed from the center of a model representing the horizon. For accurate modeling, the ecliptic should be larger than the horizon, which is represented by a CD-sized circle. At a latitude of 45 degrees, the ecliptic must be positioned to maintain alignment with the horizon throughout the day. Adjusting the size of the ecliptic circle is essential to prevent intersection with the horizon model during rotation.

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I want to build a model of how the ecliptic interacts with the horizon. The horizon appears to be a flat circle, so I thought I'd use a CD sized shape for that. What shape would I use for the ecliptic, and how large relative to the CD? I would like it to be as close as possible to the my horizon at all times of the day. I'm at 45 degrees lat.

I tried with a circular ecliptic just a little larger that the horizon, but when I rotated the part that repented the ecliptic, it seem to hit the horizontal piece (the CD I'm using as the horizon).

I thought this might be a geometry question of some type.
 
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The ecliptic, as seen from the center of the CD, is also a circle. The size does not matter, if you want to move it around making the circle larger than the CD is advisable.
 

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