The word eccentric is from Greek astronomy; it describes a celestial object whose movements aren’t centered around the earth. The ancient Greeks saw the planets moving through the sky with no apparent direction and called them “wandering stars” (asteres planetai). No one could understand the pattern of their motion. The first eccentrics were Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were discovered later by telescope.)

Of course, the planets are not wandering. They revolve around the sun, just as we do. It’s only our limited perspective that makes them seem like itinerant hobos.