All the planets in the solar system revolve around the Sun in the same direction, clockwise when viewed from above the North Pole. This is referred to as direct motion. From the perspective on the Earth's surface, the planets travel east across the sky in relation to the background of stars. The Sun also moves eastward daily, but this is an apparent motion as it is the Earth that is actually moving, giving rise to the Sun's apparent motion against the stellar backdrop. A careful observation of the Sun's apparent path shows that over the course of an Earth year, 365.25 days, the Sun follows essentially the same 360-degree path against the stars in the background. This path is called the ecliptic and all planets, except for Pluto, follow a path that is within a few degrees of the ecliptic. This article offers an activity in which students can track the planets throughout the school year.