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For other uses, see Zodiac (disambiguation).
Wheel of the zodiac: 6th century mosaic pavement incorporating is known to be Greek-Byzantine elements from a synagogue, Beit Alpha, Israel
Wheel of the zodiac: 6th century mosaic pavement incorporating is known to be Greek-Byzantine elements from a synagogue, Beit Alpha, Israel
The Earth in its orbit around the Sun causes the Sun to appear on the celestial sphere moving over the ecliptic (red), which is tilted on the equator (blue).
The Earth in its orbit around the Sun causes the Sun to appear on the celestial sphere moving over the ecliptic (red), which is tilted on the equator (blue).

Zodiac denotes an annual cycle of twelve stations along the ecliptic, the apparent path of the sun across the heavens through the constellations that divide the ecliptic into twelve equal zones of celestial longitude. The ecliptic is the apparent path that the Sun traces out in the sky during the year In common usage a constellation is a group of celestial bodies that are connected together in some arrangement typically stars to form a visible figure or picture Ecliptic longitude ( solar longitude or celestial longitude) is one of the co-ordinates which can be used to define the location of an Astronomical object The zodiac is recognized as the first known celestial coordinate system. Babylonian astronomers developed the zodiac of twelve signs. Babylonia was an Amorite state in lower Mesopotamia (modern southern Iraq) with Babylon as its capital The etymology of the term zodiac is that it comes from the Latin zōdiacus, from the Greek ζῳδιακός [κύκλος], meaning "circle of animals", derived from ζῴδιον, the diminutive of ζῷον "animal". Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Circles are simple Shapes of Euclidean geometry consisting of those points in a plane which are at a constant Distance, called the However, the classical Greek zodiac also includes signs (also constellations) that are not represented by animals (e. g. , Aquarius, Virgo, Gemini and for some Libra). Another suggested etymology is that the Greek term is cognate with the Sanskrit sodi, denoting "a path", i. e. , the path through which the Sun travels.

The zodiac also means a region of the celestial sphere that includes a band of eight arc degrees above and below the ecliptic, and therefore encompasses the paths of the Moon and the naked eye planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). In Astronomy, the naked-eye planets are the five Planets of our Solar system that can be discerned with the Naked eye without much difficulty The VENUS ( V ictoria E xperimental N etwork U nder the S ea project is a cabled sea floor observatory operated by the University The classical astronomers called these planets wandering stars to differentiate them from the fixed stars of the celestial sphere (Ptolemy). In Astronomy, the naked-eye planets are the five Planets of our Solar system that can be discerned with the Naked eye without much difficulty Astrologers understood the movement of the planets and the Sun through the zodiac as a means of explaining and predicting events on Earth.

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Zodiac in astrology

Astrologers use astronomical observations of the movements of the night sky for divinatory purposes. Astrology (from Greek grc ἄστρον astron, "constellation star" and grc -λογία -logia) is a group of Systems Divination (from Latin divinare "to be inspired by a god" related to Divine, Diva and Deus) is the attempt of ascertaining The zodiac remains in use in modern astrology, though the issue of tropical astrology (used mainly by Western astrologers) and sidereal astrology (used mainly by Indian astrologers) is central. Tropical astrology is a type of Astrology based on a Zodiac whose points of reference are the Tropics. Sidereal astrology is the system of Astrology used by some Western and all Jyotish astrologers who base their interpretation around the use of the At issue in the debate is whether the signs should be defined in terms of zones derived from nodal points defined by Earth's motion during a tropical year , or whether the signs should be defined in terms of signs roughly aligned with the constellations of the same name (for sidereal astrologers). A year (from Old English gēr) is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the Orbit of the Earth around the Sun This matters because of an astronomical phenomenon called the precession of the equinoxes, whereby the position of the stars in sky has changed over time. In Astronomy, Precession refers to the movement of the rotational axis of a body such as a planet with respect to Inertial space. Therefore, over the centuries the twelve zodiacal signs in Western astrology no longer correspond to the same part of the sky as their original constellations, or their Indian counterparts. In effect, in Western astrology the link between sign and constellation has been broken, whereas in Indian astrology it remains of paramount importance.

Western zodiac

The symbols used in Western astrology to represent the astrological signs
The symbols used in Western astrology to represent the astrological signs
Main article: Western astrology

The modern western astrological signs are simplifications of conventional pictorial hi representations of the signs, used since Hellenistic times. Western astrology is the system of Astrology most popular in Western countries Astrological signs represent twelve equal segments or divisions of the Zodiac. This article focuses on the historical aspects of the Hellenistic age for the cultural aspects see Hellenistic civilisation. The characters are encoded in unicode at positions U+2648 to U+2653 (hexadecimal numbers). In Computing, Unicode is an Industry standard allowing Computers to consistently represent and manipulate text expressed in most of the world's In Mathematics and Computer science, hexadecimal (also base -, hexa, or hex) is a Numeral system with a The glyph representation of these characters will depend on the font in which they are displayed. A glyph is an element of writing Two or more glyphs representing the same symbol whether interchangeable or context-dependent are called Allographs the abstract unit they

Below are the Roman names of the signs of the zodiac (with the ecliptic longitudes of their June first points). These figures represent the ecliptic longitudes for each sign of 30° longitude. In terms of:

For the sidereal zodiac, the movement of the Sun through each sign corresponds roughly with the constellation of the same name. Zodiac denotes an annual cycle of twelve stations along the Ecliptic, the apparent path of the sun across the heavens through the Constellations that divide the ecliptic For the tropical zodiac the movement of the Sun through each sign corresponds roughly to same days of the Gregorian Calendar each year (precisely the same days relative to the time of the vernal equinox). The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used Calendar in the world today

Indian zodiac

Traditional Hindu astrology has a sidereal coordinate zodiac system with twelve signs. Aries, the ram, is the first Astrological sign in the Zodiac. Taurus is the second Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Taurus. Gemini is the third Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Gemini. Cancer is the fourth Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Cancer. Leo is the fifth Astrological sign of the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Leo. Virgo is the sixth Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Virgo. Libra is the seventh Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Libra. Scorpio is the eighth Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Scorpius. Sagittarius is the ninth Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Sagittarius. Capricorn is the tenth Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Capricornus. Aquarius is the eleventh Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation Aquarius. Pisces is the twelfth Astrological sign in the Zodiac, which originates from the Pisces constellation. Jyotiṣa ( Sanskrit jyotiṣa, from jyótis- "light heavenly body" also spelled Jyotish and Jyotisha in English The names of the Hindu zodiacal signs, or rāśis, are similar to Graeco-Babylonian signs:

  1. meṣa "ram" (Aries)
  2. vṛṣabha "bull" (Taurus)
  3. mithuna "a pair" (Gemini)
  4. karka "crab" (Cancer)
  5. siṃha "lion" (Leo)
  6. kanyā "maiden" (Virgo)
  7. tula, from tulā "balance" (Libra)
  8. vrushchik "scorpion" (Scorpius), also kaurpi, loaned from the Greek
  9. kārmuka, cāpa, dhanus "bow, arc", cāpin "armed with a bow" (Sagittarius)
  10. eṇa, mṛga "antelope", also makara "sea-monster" (Capricornus)
  11. kumbha "pitcher, water-pot" (Aquarius)
  12. matsya "fish", also jhaṣa, timi, mīna after specific kinds of fish (Pisces)

This "Hindu zodiac" (adhvan, rāśi) thus has similarities to Greek zodiac. The Graeco-Babylonian system of twelve signs overlays the native Hindu system of nine grahas or planets. Graha (from Sanskrit ग्रह gráha -- seizing laying hold of holding is a 'cosmic influencer' on the living beings of mother Bhumidevi ( Earth)

Chinese and other zodiacs

Chinese astrology also has a system of twelve signs sometimes also referred to as "zodiac". The Chinese Zodiac is a 12 year cycle Each year of the 12 year cycle is named after one of the original 12 animals This does not necessarily imply a common origin, since the number of twelve naturally suggests itself from the number of synodic months in a year; in other words, the extent of a zodiacal sign corresponds to the path covered by the Sun between two new moons. The month is a unit of Time, used with Calendars which is approximately as long as some natural period related to the motion of the Moon; Like its Western counterpart, the Chinese zodiac features animals. However, the Chinese zodiac associates each animal with both one month and one solar year. Thus the signs repeat themselves every twelve year cycle. The animals of the Chinese Zodiac are: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit (or hare), dragon, snake, horse, sheep (or goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and pig (or boar). For a list of how these animals map to the months and years see Chinese astrology. The Chinese Zodiac is a 12 year cycle Each year of the 12 year cycle is named after one of the original 12 animals The Chinese Zodiac is a 12 year cycle Each year of the 12 year cycle is named after one of the original 12 animals The Chinese Zodiac is a 12 year cycle Each year of the 12 year cycle is named after one of the original 12 animals There is also a Chinese lunar zodiac comprised of twenty-eight lunar "mansions", each corresponding to a Chinese constellation.

Beyond the traditional Chinese system, in New Age or Occultist movements there are sometimes claims of even other systems such as a "Celtic zodiac"[1][2] based on the lunisolar Celtic calendar, or a "Galactic zodiac". New Age ( New Age Movement and New Age Spirituality) is a Social Collective Phenomenon and a Spiritual Nature The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine hidden secret referring to "knowledge of the hidden" The term Celtic calendar is used to refer to a variety of calendars used by Celtic-speaking peoples at different times in history [3] Other evidence suggests Mayan, Incan and Aztec cultures of the Western hemisphere also noted celestial events along the zodiac. The Maya for example, certainly possessed a zodiac of some kind. The Mayan name for the constellation Scorpio was also 'scorpion', while the name of the constellation Gemini was 'peccary'. There is evidence for other constellations being named after various beasts, but it remains unclear. [4]

Zodiac in astronomy

In astronomy the zodiacal constellations are a convenient way of marking the ecliptic (the sun's path across the sky). The ecliptic is the apparent path that the Sun traces out in the sky during the year The zodiac is also a way for astronomers to mark the path of the moon and planets , as their movements also remain within these constellations. A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is Apart from this role, the zodiacal constellations have no extra significance to astronomers than any other constellation.

Unlike the zodiac signs in astrology, which are all thirty degrees in length, the astronomical constellations vary widely in size. The boundaries of all the constellations in the sky were set by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1930. This was essentially a mapping exercise to make the work of astronomers more efficient, and the boundaries of the constellations are not therefore in any meaningful sense an 'equivalent' to the zodiac signs. Along with the twelve original constellations, the boundaries of a thirteenth constellation, Ophiuchus, were set by astronomers within the bounds of the zodiac. Ophiuchus (Ὀφιοῦχος ˌɒfiːˈuːkəs is one of the 88 Constellations and was also one of the 48 listed by Ptolemy.

Table of constellations vs. zodiac signs

European zodiac signs, 16th century, medieval woodcuts
European zodiac signs, 16th century, medieval woodcuts

This table provides a comparison between the dates the Sun enters and passes away from the zodiac signs and constellations as defined by various specifications. For the origins of the technique and non-artistic use see Woodblock printing; for the related technique invented in the 18th century see Wood engraving

Note the ecliptic passes through a thirteenth constellation (or more, depending upon the opinions of astronomers of any given century), Ophiuchus (the serpent bearer), as already recognized in Ptolemy's Almagest, although there is no astrological sign corresponding to Ophiuchus. Ophiuchus (Ὀφιοῦχος ˌɒfiːˈuːkəs is one of the 88 Constellations and was also one of the 48 listed by Ptolemy. Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca Almagest is the Latin form of the Arabic name ( الكتاب المجسطي, al-kitabu-l-mijisti, i Notably, Ophiuchus occupies an honored place along the zodiac: amidst the cluster of dust and clouds looking toward the center of the Milky Way galaxy; although not part of the constellation, Barnard's Star is located within Ophiuchus (this is one of the nearest stars to the Solar System, and it has the largest known proper motion of any star relative to the Sun). Barnard's Star ( is a very low-mass Red dwarf Star approximately 6 Light-years away in the Constellation of Ophiuchus (the Ophiuchus (Ὀφιοῦχος ˌɒfiːˈuːkəs is one of the 88 Constellations and was also one of the 48 listed by Ptolemy. This list of stars nearest to the Earth is ordered by increasing distance out to a maximum of 5 Parsecs (16 The Solar System consists of the Sun and those celestial objects bound to it by Gravity. The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System.

The following table compares the Gregorian dates on which the sun enters

The dates can vary by as much as 2 days from year to year, depending on the cycle of leap years.

Sign Meaning, symbol Dates of Sun's presence Solar stay in constellation Brightest Star in constellation Stone
Tropical astrological zodiac[5] sidereal (Jyotisha) astrological zodiac Constellation Boundaries [6]
Aries "ram" Aries March 21 – April 20[7] April 14 – May 14 Aries, April 19 – May 14 25 days Alpha Arietis bloodstone
Taurus "bull" Taurus April 21 – May 21 May 15 – June 14 Taurus, May 14 – June 21 38 days Aldebaran sapphire
Gemini "twins" Gemini May 22 – June 21 June 15 – July 16 Gemini, June 21 – July 21 30 days Pollux agate
Cancer "crab" Cancer June 22 – July 22 July 17 – August 16 Cancer, July 21 – August 11 21 days Beta Cancri emerald
Leo "lion" Leo July 23 – August 23 August 17 – September 16 Leo, August 11 – September 17 37 days Regulus peridot
Virgo "virgin" Virgo August 24 – September 22 September 17 – October 17 Virgo, September 17 – October 31 44 days Spica carnelian
Libra "scale" or "balance" Libra September 23 – October 23 October 18 – November 16 Libra, October 31 – November 23 23 days Beta Librae chrysolite (peridot)
Scorpio "scorpion" Scorpio October 24 – November 22 November 17 – December 15 Scorpius, November 23 – November 30 7 days Antares chrysoberyl
Ophiuchus
not recognized in astrology		 "the serpent bearer" n/a n/a Ophiuchus, November 30 – December 18 18 days Alpha Ophiuchi n/a
Sagittarius "centaur" Sagittarius November 23 – December 21 December 16 – January 14 Sagittarius, December 18 – January 19 32 days Epsilon Sagittarii topaz
Capricorn "horned goat" Capricornus December 22 – January 19 January 15 – February 12 Capricornus, January 19 – February 16 28 days Delta Capricorni ruby
Aquarius "water bearer" Aquarius January 20 – February 18 February 13 – March 14 Aquarius, February 16 – March 12 25 days Beta Aquarii garnet
Pisces "fish" Pisces February 19 – March 20 March 15 – April 13 Pisces, March 12 – April 19 38 days Eta Piscium amethyst

Precession of the equinoxes

Main article: Precession of the equinoxes

The signs of the zodiac do not necessarily coincide with the actual constellations for which they are named. Sidereal astrology is the system of Astrology used by some Western and all Jyotish astrologers who base their interpretation around the use of the Jyotiṣa ( Sanskrit jyotiṣa, from jyótis- "light heavenly body" also spelled Jyotish and Jyotisha in English Aries, the ram, is the first Astrological sign in the Zodiac. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the Aries ( ram, symbol, Unicode ♈ is one of the Constellations of the Zodiac. Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the Alpha Arietis (α Ari / α Arietis is the brightest star in the Constellation Aries. Taurus is the second Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Taurus. Appearances of the Bull (also known as Taurus) in Mythology and worship are widespread in the ancient world Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Events 1276 - While taking exile in Fuzhou in southern China, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the Taurus (it looks like a bull (ˈtɔrəs bull, symbol, Unicode ♉ is one of the Constellations of the Zodiac. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. Aldebaran ( α Tau α Tauri Alpha Tauri is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky Sapphire (antique greek hyacinthos refers to gem varieties of the mineral Corundum, an Aluminium oxide (Al2O3 when it is a color other than Gemini is the third Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Gemini. Twins are Offspring resulting from the same Pregnancy, either of the same or opposite Sex. Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Gemini (ˈgɛmɪnaɪ Twins, symbol, Unicode ♊ is one of the Constellations of the Zodiac known as "the twins" Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Pollux, also cataloged as Beta Geminorum (β Gem / β Geminorum is an Orange giant Star approximately 34 Light-years away in the Constellation This article is about the semi-precious stone For other uses see Agate (disambiguation. Cancer is the fourth Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Cancer. Crabs are decapod Crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (βραχύ / brachy Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Cancer ( Crab, symbol, Unicode ♋ is one of the twelve Constellations of the Zodiac. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Events 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation Beta Cancri (β Cnc / β Cancri is the brightest Star in the Constellation Cancer. Emeralds are a variety of the Mineral Beryl (Be3Al2(SiO36 colored Green by trace amounts Leo is the fifth Astrological sign of the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Leo. The lion ( Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four Big cats in the Genus Panthera. Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Leo (ˈliːoʊ Lion, symbol, Unicode ♌ is a Constellation of the Zodiac. Events 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec Regulus (α Leo / α Leonis / Alpha Leonis is the brightest star in the Constellation Leo and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky Peridot (pronunciation /ˈpɛrɪˌdɒt/, /ˈpɛrɪˌdoʊ/ (British English /ˈpɛərɪˌdɑt/ /ˈpɛərɪˌdɑʊ/ (US English is the gem quality variety of forsteritic Virgo is the sixth Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Virgo. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Virgo ( Virgin, symbol, Unicode ♍ is a Constellation of the Zodiac. Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Spica (ˈspaɪkə (also known as α Vir / α Virginis / Alpha Virginis is the brightest star in the Constellation Virgo, and the 15th brightest star Carnelian, sometimes spelled cornelian, is a red or reddish-brown variant of Chalcedony. Libra is the seventh Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Libra. A weighing scale (usually just "scale" in common usage except in Australian English where "scales" is more common is a Measuring instrument for A weighing scale (usually just "scale" in common usage except in Australian English where "scales" is more common is a Measuring instrument for Events 1122 - Concordat of Worms. 1459 - Battle of Blore Heath, the first major battle of the English Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Events 1009 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published Libra (ˈliːbrə balance, symbol, Unicode ♎ is a Constellation of the Zodiac. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Galactic Coordinates l° 3520 b° +392 Beta Librae (β Lib / β Librae is the brightest Star in the Constellation Libra Peridot (pronunciation /ˈpɛrɪˌdɒt/, /ˈpɛrɪˌdoʊ/ (British English /ˈpɛərɪˌdɑt/ /ˈpɛərɪˌdɑʊ/ (US English is the gem quality variety of forsteritic Scorpio is the eighth Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Scorpius. Scorpions are eight-legged Carnivorous Arthropods They are members of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Scorpius ( Latin for Scorpion, symbol, Unicode ♏ is one of the Constellations of the Zodiac. Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Antares (α Scorpii / Alpha Scorpii is a Red supergiant Star in the Milky Way Galaxy and the sixteenth brightest star The Mineral or Gemstone chrysoberyl, not to be confused with Beryl, is an aluminate of Beryllium with the formula BeAl2O4 Ophiuchus (Ὀφιοῦχος ˌɒfiːˈuːkəs is one of the 88 Constellations and was also one of the 48 listed by Ptolemy. N/A or n/a is a common abbreviation for not available or not applicable, used to indicate the deliberate omission of information from a table or listing Ophiuchus (Ὀφιοῦχος ˌɒfiːˈuːkəs is one of the 88 Constellations and was also one of the 48 listed by Ptolemy. Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Alpha Ophiuchi (α Oph / α Ophiuchi is the brightest Star in the Constellation Ophiuchus. Sagittarius is the ninth Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Sagittarius. In Greek mythology, the centaurs (from Ancient Greek: Κένταυροι - Kéntauroi are a race of creatures composed of part Human Events 800 - Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Epsilon Sagittarii (ε Sgr / ε Sagittarii is a Binary star that lies 144 Topaz is a Silicate mineral of Aluminium and Fluorine with the Chemical formula Al 2 Si[[oxygen O]]4( Capricorn is the tenth Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Capricornus. The domestic goat ( Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of goat Domesticated from the Wild goat of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the Capricornus ( Latin for "horned (male Goat " or "goat horn " is one of the Constellations of the Zodiac. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols Delta Capricorni (δ Cap / δ Capricorni also traditionally named Deneb Algedi and or Scheddi, is a quaternary star system approximately 39 A Ruby is a pink to blood-red Gemstone, a variety of the Mineral Corundum ( Aluminium oxide) Aquarius is the eleventh Astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation Aquarius. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Events 3102 BC - Epoch (origin of the Kali Yuga. 1229 - The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II Holy Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. Aquarius ( Water -bearer or cup-bearer is the eleventh sign of the Zodiac, situated between Capricornus and Pisces. Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving (β Aqr / β Aquarii is the brightest star in the Constellation Aquarius. The garnet group includes a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives Pisces is the twelfth Astrological sign in the Zodiac, which originates from the Pisces constellation. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum Events 1600 - The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden. Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople Pisces (ˈpaɪsiːz Fish (plural symbol, Unicode ♓ is a Zodiac Constellation which lies between Aquarius to the west and Aries Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer Eta Piscium (η Psc / η Piscium is the brightest Star in the Constellation Pisces. Amethyst is a violet variety of Quartz often used as an Ornamental stone in Jewelry. In Astronomy, Precession refers to the movement of the rotational axis of a body such as a planet with respect to Inertial space. In common usage a constellation is a group of celestial bodies that are connected together in some arrangement typically stars to form a visible figure or picture Because of the division of the zodiac into 12 signs of 30° each; due to various specifications for the boundaries of the constellations; and especially due to the precession of the equinoxes for the tropical system of coordinates, the constellations should not be confused with zodiac signs. In Astronomy, Precession refers to the movement of the rotational axis of a body such as a planet with respect to Inertial space. As described above, due to precession the tropical signs have moved away from their corresponding constellations, so that today, the beginning of the tropical sign of Aries (defined as the position of the Sun on the vernal equinox) lies somewhere within the constellation Pisces. An equinox is the event of the Sun passing over the Earth's equator in its annual cycle

It is not entirely clear how ancient astronomers responded to this phenomenon of precession once they discovered it. Today, some read Ptolemy as dropping the concept of a fixed celestial sphere and adopting what is referred to as a tropical coordinate system instead: in other words, one fixed to the cycle of the Earth's seasonal cycle rather than its orbital cycle. Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca Such a view is consistent with the reading of Ptolemy as a geocentrist. In Astronomy, the geocentric model of the Universe is the superseded theory that the Earth is the center of the universe and other The geo-centrist view understands the motion of celestial objects in strict relation to the Earth as a fixed frame of reference. This view understands the celestial sphere as rotating around the Earth like the spheres of the other planets and the moon: only more slowly. In Astronomy and Navigation, the celestial sphere is an imaginary rotating Sphere of "gigantic Radius " The Earth is the center of everything and is fixed in the same frame of reference as the Universe. The stars precess in relation to the Earth not the other way around. Modern astronomers typically read such a view in Ptolemy who writes: "the sphere of the fixed stars also performs a motion of its own in the opposite direction to the revolution of the universe, that is [the motion of] the great circle through both poles, that of the equator and that of the ecliptic. " By "revolution of the universe", Ptolemy refers to the daily cycle that heliocentrists understand as the rotation of the Earth. In Astronomy, heliocentrism is the theory that the Sun is at the center of the Solar System. However, one also finds evidence in Ptolemy's The Almagest that he expresses a view of a fixed celestial sphere; or at least that he understands the difference between the relative motions of each. Almagest is the Latin form of the Arabic name ( الكتاب المجسطي, al-kitabu-l-mijisti, i After cataloguing over 1,000 stars he describes a method for constructing a model of the stars:"Since it is not reasonable to mark the solstitial and equinoctial points on the actual zodiac of the globe (for the stars depicted [on the globe] do not retain a constant distance with respect to these points), we need to take some fixed starting-point in the delineated fixed stars" (emphasis added; brackets are translator's insertions). So Ptolemy's response to the issue of precession is that the zodiac moves through the equinox and also he makes it clear he understands that the equinox moves through the zodiac.

The zodiacal signs remain in use as the basis of an ecliptic coordinate system, though modern astronomers tend to use an equatorial coordinate systems since Early Modern times. The ecliptic coordinate system is a Celestial coordinate system that uses the Ecliptic for its Fundamental plane. The equatorial coordinate system is probably the most widely used Celestial coordinate system, whose equatorial coordinates are Declination (\delta The early modern period is a term initially used by historians to refer mainly to the period roughly from 1500 to 1800 in Western Europe ( Early modern Europe) One can see the use of the sidereal coordinate system as late as 1,000 AD from Hermannus Contractus in his de mensura astrolabii liber who gives the locations of stars in stereographic projection for the construction of an astrolabe, There he gives the zodiac coordinate of Antares as 14. Hermann of Reichenau (also called Hermannus Contractus or Hermannus Augiensis) ( 1013 July 18 &ndash 1054 September 24) In Geometry, the stereographic projection is a particular mapping ( function) that projects a Sphere onto a plane The astrolabe is a historical Astronomical instrument used by classical astronomers, Navigators Scorpius, equaling a J2000. 0 ecliptic longitude of 224° (the 14th degree from the beginning of Scorpius at 210°).

The zodiacal symbols are Early Modern simplifications of conventional pictorial representations of the signs, attested since Hellenistic times. The early modern period is a term initially used by historians to refer mainly to the period roughly from 1500 to 1800 in Western Europe ( Early modern Europe) The symbols are encoded in Unicode at positions U+2648 to U+2653. In Computing, Unicode is an Industry standard allowing Computers to consistently represent and manipulate text expressed in most of the world's

Zodiac celestial coordinate systems

Any spherical celestial coordinate system must define an fundamental plane and designate a prime meridian: in other words an origin or zero degree mark for longitude. "Globose" redirects here See also Globose nucleus. A sphere (from Greek σφαίρα - sphaira, "globe In Astronomy, a celestial coordinate system is a Coordinate system for mapping positions in the sky The fundamental plane in a Spherical coordinate system is a Plane which divides the Sphere into two Hemispheres The Latitude of a Longitude (ˈlɒndʒɪˌtjuːd or ˈlɒŋgɪˌtjuːd symbolized by the Greek character Lambda (λ is the east-west Geographic coordinate measurement From these definitions, longitudinal meridians perpendicular to the fundamental plane meet at the north and south poles of the celestial sphere enabling the specification of precise coordinates for any position on the sphere. This article is about the geographical concept For other uses of the word see Meridian. In Geometry, two lines or planes (or a line and a plane are considered perpendicular (or orthogonal) to each other if they form congruent

For the zodiac coordinate system, it designates the ecliptic as its fundamental plane[8]. The ecliptic is the apparent path that the Sun traces out in the sky during the year Like the equator in the Earth’s spherical coordinates, the ecliptic serves as the fundamental plane for the zodiac's coordinate system. The ecliptic is aligned with the Earth's orbital plane with the Sun rather than the equator that is perpendicular to Earth’s axis of rotation. The Earth tilts at an angle of approximately 23° with respect to the orbital plane. This tilt is related to the Earth's precession as it gyrates and rotates on its axis — completing a cycle through its four seasons slightly before it has reached the completion of an orbital cycle. Precession refers to a change in the direction of the axis of a rotating object Gyration is another term for Rotation. A center of actual rotation as well as Rotational symmetry may be called gyration center gyration point or rotocenter This gyration contributes to the divergence between a tropical year and a sidereal year. A tropical year (also known as a solar year) is the length of time that the Sun takes to return to the same position in the cycle of seasons as seen from Earth The sidereal year is the time taken for the Sun to return to the same position with respect to the Stars of the Celestial sphere.

Second, the zodiac system of coordinates specifies a different prime meridian for the tropical and the sidereal systems of coordinates. For the tropical system of coordinates the prime meridian is the position of the Sun at the Vernal Equinox in the epoch of Hipparchus. This prime meridian leads to the fixity of the system with respect to the Earth: in other words the stars of the celestial sphere slowly rotate around the earth over the course of thousands of years. For the sidereal system of coordinates, Ptolemy specified zodiac signs using two bright stars near the ecliptic and opposite each other to serve as equatorial nodes: Aldebaran and Antares in the constellations Taurus and Scorpius respectively. Aldebaran ( α Tau α Tauri Alpha Tauri is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky Antares (α Scorpii / Alpha Scorpii is a Red supergiant Star in the Milky Way Galaxy and the sixteenth brightest star Taurus (it looks like a bull (ˈtɔrəs bull, symbol, Unicode ♉ is one of the Constellations of the Zodiac. Scorpius ( Latin for Scorpion, symbol, Unicode ♏ is one of the Constellations of the Zodiac. These stars served rather well because not only were they on opposites sides of the ecliptic, but they also fell very near the center of their constellations and were therefore designated as Taurus 15 and Scorpius 15, meaning the middle 15° points within those signs. From these two stars then the remaining equatorial boundaries of the 12 signs of the zodiac follow. [9] Therefore, even in the sidereal system of coordinates the 12 signs only roughly correspond to the 12 constellations from which they take their name, though they are in the same general region of one another. For the sidereal system the selection of two relatively stable stars (in other words their proper motion is relatively small), leads to a system of coordinates that treats the celestial sphere as fixed and the position of the Sun at Earth’s equinox as moving through the celestial sphere. The proper motion of a Star is the measurement of its change in position in the sky over time after Improper motions are accounted for

Sidereal versus tropical

The celestial coordinate system described above is what astronomers call a sidereal system of coordinates. In other words it defines the coordinates in relation to what ancient astronomers called the fixed stars (as opposed to the planets other than Earth which were called wandering stars). The fixed stars (from the Latin stellae fixae) are celestial objects that do not seem to move in relation to the other stars of the night sky A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is One could also call this a celestially centered system of coordinates. In time the ancient astronomers such as Hipparchus discovered these fixed stars were not fixed relative to the Earth's tropical year. Hipparchus ( Greek; ca 190 BC &ndash ca 120 BC was a Greek Astronomer, Geographer, and Mathematician of the Hellenistic A year (from Old English gēr) is the time between two recurrences of an event related to the Orbit of the Earth around the Sun Due, in part, to the precession of the Earth discussed above, the Earth completed its orbit after it has already completed the tropical cycle: for example: for the cycle of the Sun starting directly over the Tropic of Cancer then to the Tropic of Capricorn and return to the Tropic of Cancer again. Precession refers to a change in the direction of the axis of a rotating object For the novel by Henry Miller, see Tropic of Cancer (novel. The Tropic of Cancer, or Northern tropic, is one of five For the novel by Henry Miller, see Tropic of Capricorn (novel. Or as another example consider the motion of the Sun from one vernal equinox to the next; the Earth would complete such a cycle shortly before it completed an entire orbit around the Sun. (24 minutes and 20 seconds before). The difference is very subtle, but as astronomers found archival records to compare their sightings with sightings of previous astronomers, the discrepancy thus became apparent. Some estimates of the rate of precession suggest that over a period of 27,000 tropical years, the Earth will have orbited the Sun only 26,999 times. That Hipparchus in the second century BC could recognize and document such a subtle process which is now known as the precession of the equinoxes could be considered remarkable. In Astronomy, Precession refers to the movement of the rotational axis of a body such as a planet with respect to Inertial space.

Some modern astronomers began to mark the stars according to a tropical zodiac (or other tropical coordinate systems such as the equatorial coordinate system). The equatorial coordinate system is probably the most widely used Celestial coordinate system, whose equatorial coordinates are Declination (\delta This tropical zodiac system of coordinates designates the origin of the longitude of the celestial sphere as the first point in Aries. The term may be derived from the constellation of Aries, but this point instead marks the position of the Sun at the time of the vernal equinox for a specified epoch. In Astronomy, an epoch is a moment in time used as a reference for the Orbital elements of a Celestial body. Among other things, this epoch specifies the first point in Aries and establishes a unique fixed reference point for the tropical system of coordinates. The use of the phrase "first point in Aries" causes some confusion when considering sidereal versus tropical systems of coordinates. An equinox is the event of the Sun passing over the Earth's equator in its annual cycle The first point in Aries in the sidereal system of coordinates, would be the first star in the Aries sign or perhaps the boundary of that sign. Whereas in tropical coordinates, the vernal equinox defines this point. During the time of Ptolemy's observations and cataloguing of stars the sidereal and tropical longitudinal origins differed by a magnitude of perhaps less than 2°. Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca The close convergence of these two systems of coordinates — combined with the varied interpretations of the phrase "first point in Aries" — makes it difficult to discern Ptolemy's longitudinal origin (see Peters and Knobel 1915).

More recently, in 2000 AD for example, the first point in Aries and the boundary of the sign of Aries — based on the specification of zodiac signs above — diverged by about 25°. In terms of the tropical system, this places the first point in Aries (in other words, the vernal equinox) in the Pisces constellation, near the projection of the NGC 7787 spiral galaxy. An equinox is the event of the Sun passing over the Earth's equator in its annual cycle Pisces (ˈpaɪsiːz Fish (plural symbol, Unicode ♓ is a Zodiac Constellation which lies between Aquarius to the west and Aries The New General Catalogue ( NGC) is the best-known catalogue of Deep sky objects in Amateur astronomy. Other specifications of zodiac signs (whether sidereal or tropical) choosing different fixed points (in the celestial sphere for sidereal or in relation to Earth's seasonal cycle for tropical) would result in a different divergence either greater than or less than 25°. For example Cyril Fagan's sidereal zodiac is offset from the J2000. Cyril Fagan ( May 22, 1896 - January 5, 1970) was an astrologer born in Dublin Ireland, who claimed historical use of 0 tropical zodiac by greater than 39° (as of 1977). This difference between the position of fixed stars in the tropical and sidereal coordinate systems is called the Ayanamsa. Ayanamsa is the Sanskrit term for the longitudinal difference between the tropical or Sayana and sidereal or Nirayana zodiacs

The equinox moving through the sidereal signs

Below are several images depicting how the vernal equinox precesses through the celestial sphere from 1500 BC through AD 2500 (projected). An equinox is the event of the Sun passing over the Earth's equator in its annual cycle The brightest star you see in the images is the Sun. For a tropical zodiac the first point in Aries and consequently the beginning of the tropical sign of Aries is defined as the position of the Sun's center at the moment of the astronomical vernal equinox. For comparison the constellations are shown with stick labeled figures. Also the planets are labeled that lie near the vernal equinox for that year. Finally, the stars that lie near the outer boundaries of the sidereal signs of Aries (HIP16641) and Pisces (14 Piscium/HIP116323) as well as the dividing point between the two (HIP7243) are marked to provide some sense of where the first point in Aries (the start of the sign of Aries in terms of a tropical zodiac) lies in relation to the sidereal sign of Aries. Click on any image to see a larger view.

Comparison to modern systems

Though perhaps as old as 5,000 years, the zodiac coordinate system boasts advantages over its more common modern counterparts. Since the coordinate system is celestially centered, it is insulated from the many eccentricities of Earth's motion: including its rotation, intricacies of Earth time, precession, nutation and its elliptical and perturbed orbit around our Sun. To use the zodiac coordinate system all one has to know is where to find one of the nodal constellations that include the fixed reference points for the system: Taurus and Scorpio. Since those constellations are located on opposite sides of the ecliptic along the zodiac, one should always be visible in the night sky. Also. these constellations are both located within the prominent band of cloud and dust of the Milky Way. From these constellations astronomers can orient themselves for locating any point in the coordinate system.

The modern, commonly used tropical systems require an observer to know the current mean sidereal time, the observer's terrestrial longitude and latitude, and the epoch the observer wishes to utilize, and to account for other peculiarities of Earth's motion. Of course, modern astronomical computers handle most of the tasks for observers, but it involves a large effort by many different astronomers behind the scenes.

In addition, much of the motion of the stars in modern tropical coordinate systems can be attributed wholly to these peculiarities of Earth's motion. Astronomers make the distinction between the proper motion of a star (typically relatively subtle), from the other motion that arises totally from the designation of a tropical rather than sidereal coordinate system. One example where this exhibits itself is in the constellation boundaries drawn up by the IAU. The neat constellation boundaries drawn in 1930 exhibit increasingly distorted boundary lines over time. This may seem like something of little consequence, but why bother drawing neat boundaries around constellations if they inherently become erratic in the dominant coordinate system in use then and now.

Finally, since the zodiac system uses the ecliptic rather than the terrestrial equator for its equatorial plane it is not susceptible to the drifting of stars across the celestial equator as in the commonly used equatorial coordinate system (right ascension, declination). In The Almagest Ptolemy criticizes Hipparchus’ use of an equatorial plane in some of Hipparchus’ variously specified coordinate systems for this very reason (Ptolemy 1998). Hipparchus ( Greek; ca 190 BC &ndash ca 120 BC was a Greek Astronomer, Geographer, and Mathematician of the Hellenistic

These advantages make the zodiac coordinate system a very efficient system of coordinates in terms of requiring very little human-hours of labor to use and maintain: issues particularly important to early astronomers, typically working in often in isolation from one another.

The key disadvantage of a zodiac system of coordinates will manifest as a problem, if the nodal stars that serve as its fixed reference points for the system exhibit significant proper motion so that within the system of coordinates every other star appears to move dramatically in unison. In other words, selecting a star that has eccentiricities compared to the other stars undermines the usefulness of the system of coordinates. For example the inadvertent selection of an asteroid or an entire galaxy outside our Milky Way would lead to this condition. The reason for this is that celestial objects outside our galaxy revolve around our galaxy in a period of about 220 million years, at least in terms of a frame of reference affixed to our Sun and its neighboring stars. The only other sidereal coordinate system in common use today (that shares many of the zodiac’s advantages) is the galactic coordinate system. The galactic coordinate system is a Celestial coordinate system which is centered on the Sun and is aligned with the apparent center of the Milky Way galaxy In galactic coordinates, the plane of the Milky Way and its own axial center serve as the fixed referents. These are fairly logical reference points for a coordinate system, though of course they cannot be located with the naked eye.

Another disadvantage relates to the apparatus required for orienting one to the coordinate system. Using geocentric coordinates astronomers can easily calibrate their instruments to the fixed reference point. As long as astronomers can obtain an accurate compass reading, they can orient themselves to a geocentric coordinate system (such as ecliptic or equatorial coordinates). Using zodiac coordinates requires an astronomer to locate the correct star, whether Antares or Aldebaran, and the correct constellation- Scorpio or Taurus respectively- and make an accurate reading of the position of that star and accurately orient that star to the ecliptic. This may take more skill than a mere compass reading: especially for amateur astronomers.

Mnemonics for the zodiac

A traditional mnemonic:[10]

The Ram, the Bull, the Heavenly Twins,
And next the Crab, the Lion shines,
The Virgin and the Scales. A mnemonic device (nəˈmɒnɪk is a Memory aid Commonly met mnemonics are often verbal something such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember
The Scorpion, Archer, and the Goat,
The Man who holds the Watering Pot,
And Fish with glittering scales.

A less poetic, but succinct and perhaps more memorable, mnemonic is the following:[11]

The Ramble Twins Crab Liverish;
Scaly Scorpions Are Good Water Fish.

(Ram-Ble = Ram, Bull; Twins = Twins; Crab = Crab; Li-Ver(ish) = Lion, Virgin; Scaly = Scale; Scorpion = Scorpio; Are = Archer; Good = Goat; Water = Water Bearer; Fish = Fish)

See also

References

  1. ^ House Shadow Drake - Celtic Zodiac
  2. ^ House Shadow Drake - Celtic Zodiac
  3. ^ Zodiacs - © Dr Shepherd Simpson
  4. ^ Michael D. Astronomy is the oldest of the Natural sciences dating back to antiquity, with its origins in the religious, Mythological, and Astrological The history of Astrology encompasses a great span of human history and many cultures Astrological signs represent twelve equal segments or divisions of the Zodiac. The Chinese Zodiac is a 12 year cycle Each year of the 12 year cycle is named after one of the original 12 animals Astrology has used the concept of Classical elements from antiquity up until the present Babylonian astronomy refers to the astronomical theories and methods that were developed in ancient Mesopotamia, the "land between the rivers" Tigris Astronomical symbols are symbols used to represent various Celestial objects theoretical constructs and observational events in Astronomy. Alchemy in the Western World and other locations where it was widely practiced was (and in many cases still is allied and intertwined with traditional Babylonian-Greek Esoteric cosmology is Cosmology that is an intrinsic part of an esoteric or occult system of thought The zodiacal light is a faint roughly triangular whitish glow seen in the night sky which appears to extend up from the vicinity of the Sun along the Ecliptic Zodiacal dust forms a pancake shaped cloud in the Solar System collectively known as the zodiacal cloud. In Astrology, a cusp (from the Latin for spear or point is the imaginary line that separates a sign in the Zodiac or a house in the Sefer Raziel HaMalakh, (Hebrew he ספר רזיאל המלאך " Book of Raziel the Angel ” is Medieval Kabbalistic A Circle of stars often represents unity, Solidarity and Harmony in Flags seals ref> and Signs and is also seen Alexander A Gurshtein (born 1937 is a Russian Astronomer and historian of science Coe, 'The Maya', pp227 - 229, Thames and Hudson, London, 2005
  5. ^ Free Daily Horoscopes, Astrology Reports - washingtonpost.com
  6. ^ IAU concluded in 1977
  7. ^ Sources differ on whether April 20th should be associated with Aries or Taurus. I. e. Astrology.Com.AU (Taurus) or Astrology Online (Aries)The Sun changes signs at different times each year, with enough variation to occur on different dates. Consult an ephemeris to determine on which date a sign begins/ends for a particular year.
  8. ^ For a thorough discussion of the construction and use of the zodiac system of coordinates see Ptolemy’s Almagest
  9. ^ see Powell 2004
  10. ^ Project Gutenberg ebook "An Alphabet Of Old Friends"; see Z for Zodiac.
  11. ^ Rey, H. A. (1952). The Stars, Houghton Mifflin.

External links

Chart(s)

Dictionary

zodiac

-noun

  1. (astronomy): A belt-like region in the sky that includes the apparent path of the sun, moon, and planets. It extends approximately eight degrees north and south of the ecliptic and is divided into 12 equal parts, each of which is named after a constellation.
  2. (astrology): The twelve signs, or houses, of the zodiac. Each sign corresponds to one of the constellations along the zodiac.
  3. A circle decorated with the signs of the zodiac.
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