What is the approximate current measurement defining the obliquity of the ecliptic?
About 23.44 degrees.
The current, measured value for the obliquity of the ecliptic—the angle between the plane of the Earth's orbit (the ecliptic) and the projection of the Earth's equatorial plane onto the sky (the celestial equator)—is established to be approximately 23.44 degrees. This value is significant because it represents the tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation relative to its orbital plane. This specific tilt dictates the maximum angular distance the Sun reaches north or south of the celestial equator throughout the year, setting the boundaries for the tropics and establishing the range over which the Sun's declination varies, which is directly responsible for creating the differing lengths of day and night experienced across the seasons.
