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The term orbit plot (or orbital plot) is used for a graphic showing a line along the path of an orbit, typically in the frame of reference of the host (main, larger body). It may represent the plane of the orbit (e.g., when the orbit is well-known in three dimensions), or it may represent the projection as observed, e.g., for binary stars and extra-solar planets in which the inclination is not precisely known. It is common to include indications of timing, such as marking points representing fractions of the orbital period. The plot may cover more than a single circuit, to show successive changes in the orbit (e.g., for spacecraft).
The term orbit plot is also used for analogous plots of rotations within mechanical devices rather than the orbits of astronomical bodies.