How to find intersections with ellipses in PGF / TikZ

Question

I'm trying to show the scope in PGF / TikZ to illustrate the idea of ​​big circles.

Code for my current result:

\begin{tikzpicture}

\tikzfading[name=fade right,
left color=transparent!20,
right color=transparent!90]

\tikzfading[name=fade out,
inner color=transparent!100,
outer color=transparent!10]

\tikzfading[name=fade right gc,
left color=transparent!0,
right color=transparent!70]

\draw [<->, dashed] (0,-5) -- (0,5); % y-axis
\draw [->, dashed] (0, 0) -- (20:5); % x-axis
\draw [->, dashed] (0, 0) -- (200:5); % x-axis
\draw [->, dashed] (0, 0) -- (340:5); % z-axis
\draw [->, dashed] (0, 0) -- (160:5); % z-axis

\fill [color=cyan, opacity=0.15, path fading=fade out] (0,0) circle (4cm); % bounding circle
\fill [color=cyan, opacity=0.25, path fading=fade right, fading angle=90] (0,0) ellipse (4cm and 1cm); % x-y-axis area

% great circle 1
\draw [rotate=-40, color=red, path fading=fade right gc, fading angle=40] (0,0) ellipse (4cm and 1cm);

% great circle 2
\draw[rotate=5, color=red, path fading=fade right gc, fading angle=5] (0,0) ellipse (1.5cm and 4cm);

\end{tikzpicture}

Like me

• find the two intersection points of the two red ellipses (commented out as the big circle 1 and 2),
• find the point of intersection of the line (originating from the center (0,0)) with the ellipse and
• place a small circle or rectangle there?

Placing a small circle or rectangle there is no problem. Thank you very much!

Answer 1

4.1.4. TikZ PGF, " ". intersections, name intersections, \path [name intersections={of=path 1 and path 2}] ;. , name path, \draw [name path = y axis, <->, dashed] (0,-5) -- (0,5) ; % y-axis. , -, ; , . , , (intersection-1), (intersection-2) .. , , :

\begin{tikzpicture}
  \tikzfading[ name        = fade right
             , left color  = transparent!20
             , right color = transparent!90 ]

  \tikzfading[name         = fade out
             , inner color = transparent!100
             , outer color = transparent!10 ]

  \tikzfading[name         = fade right gc
             , left color  = transparent!0
             , right color = transparent!70]

  \draw [name path = y  axis, <->, dashed] (0,-5) -- (0,5)   ; % y-axis
  \draw [name path = x- axis,  ->, dashed] (0, 0) -- (20:5)  ; % x-axis
  \draw [name path = x+ axis,  ->, dashed] (0, 0) -- (200:5) ; % x-axis
  \draw [name path = z+ axis,  ->, dashed] (0, 0) -- (340:5) ; % z-axis
  \draw [name path = z- axis,  ->, dashed] (0, 0) -- (160:5) ; % z-axis

  % bounding circle
  \fill [color=cyan, opacity=0.15, path fading=fade out]
        (0,0) circle (4cm) ;

  % x-y-axis area
  \fill [color=cyan, opacity=0.25, path fading=fade right, fading angle=90]
        (0,0) ellipse (4cm and 1cm);

  % great circle 1
  \draw [ name path    = great circle 1
        , rotate       = -40
        , color        = red
        , path fading  = fade right gc
        , fading angle = 40]
        (0,0) ellipse (4cm and 1cm);

  % great circle 2
  \draw [ name path    = great circle 2
        , rotate       = 5
        , color        = red
        , path fading  = fade right gc
        , fading angle = 5]
        (0,0) ellipse (1.5cm and 4cm);

  % Intersections
  \path [name intersections={of=great circle 1 and great circle 2}] ;
  \foreach \i in {1,...,4}
    \fill [color=red] (intersection-\i) circle (2pt) ;

  \path [name intersections={of=y axis and great circle 1}] ;
  \fill (intersection-1) circle (2pt) ;
  \fill (intersection-2) circle (2pt) ;
  \path [name intersections={of=y axis and great circle 2}] ;
  \fill (intersection-1) circle (2pt) ;
  \fill (intersection-2) circle (2pt) ;

  \foreach \a in {x,z} {
    \foreach \ss in {+,-} {
      \def\s.{\ss} % Otherwise the space in `\a\s axis` would get gobbled.
      \path [name intersections={of=\a\s. axis and great circle 1}] ;
      \fill (intersection-1) circle (2pt) ;
      \path [name intersections={of=\a\s. axis and great circle 2}] ;
      \fill (intersection-1) circle (2pt) ;
    }
  }
\end{tikzpicture}

( ), , , - name path . , . \usetikzlibrary{intersections}, .