zodiacal light

A cone of whitish or yellowish light, of low intensity and milky appearance, that appears in the night sky along the plane of the ecliptic. It is observed mainly in tropical regions, provided there is sufficient darkness and the air is clear. Under such conditions, the zodiacal light begins to be seen after sunset - once evening twilight has ended - disappearing at the end of the night, when it starts to grow light. It is caused by the scattering that sunlight undergoes as it passes through the myriad cosmic dust particles present in interplanetary space.