A faint cone of light extending along the ecliptic, visible in the sky on clear moonless nights in the west following sunset, and in the east just before sunrise. It is caused by sunlight scattered from micrometre-sized dust particles in the zodiacal dust cloud in the plane of the solar system. The zodiacal light is dimly present all round the ecliptic, a phenomenon sometimes called the zodiacal band, and an enhancement also occurs at the position directly opposite the Sun. This is known as the gegenschein, or counterglow.