As seen from the Earth, the Sun, Moon, and planets all appear to move along the ecliptic. More precisely, the ecliptic is the Sun's apparent path among the stars over the course of a year.

What planets are on the ecliptic?

Top and side views of the plane of the ecliptic, showing planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Most of the planets orbit the Sun very nearly in the same plane in which Earth orbits, the ecliptic.

Does Mars follow the ecliptic?

Mars, higher in the eastern sky, defines a third point on the ecliptic. ... Notice in the image that the moon and planets do not sit exactly on the line of the ecliptic. Although the orbits of the moon and planets are almost in the same plane as the Earth's orbit, they are all a little bit off.