What is zodiacal light?

Zodiacal light appears as a hazy triangle of light rising from the horizon along the path of the zodiac, the band where the Sun, Moon and planets travel. It is caused by sunlight scattering off countless tiny dust grains orbiting the Sun in the plane of the planets. It is best seen from dark sites, in the west after evening twilight in spring or in the east before dawn in autumn, for mid-northern observers. Because it is so faint, light pollution easily hides it. Data from NASA's Juno spacecraft suggested in 2021 that much of this dust may come from Mars.