According to this definition, the zodiac constellations are the 12 ecliptic constellations that roughly correspond to the traditional signs of the zodiac. Babylonian astronomers pointed out the 12 constellations in the 5th century BC. They knew the 13th constellation Ophiuchus, but it didn’t fit into the old calendar of 12 lunar months.
We observe the sun, moon and the other seven large planets in our solar system within this region of the sky. The zodiacal band is very narrow because the orbits of the planets are very similar in slope to those of the earth around the sun. In astrology, a constellation refers to one of the 12 specific constellations that the sun passes through. The special sign of a person’s zodiac is where the sun stood when he was born. It is a belief in astrology that a person’s personality can be predicted using their zodiac sign. According to astrology, it is also possible to predict the future by observing the position of the sun, moon and planets compared to the constellations of the zodiac.
The convention of measuring the degree of sky longitude within individual signs was still used in the mid-19th century, but modern astronomy now continuously counts degrees of sky longitude from 0° to 360°, rather than 0° to 30° within each sign. This coordinate system is mainly used by astronomers Read More for observations of objects in the solar system. Western astrology takes the tropical approach, while Hindu astrology takes the sidereal one. This results in the originally unified zodiacal coordinate system that separates gradually, with a clockwise precession of 1.4 degrees per century.
The sun, moon and planets were considered gods or other supernatural beings and forces that controlled life on earth. The 12 main zodiac signs we know today were originally observed by the Babylonians. The concept of the horoscope originated because of these old time maintenance maps and diagrams. A horoscope is a diagram that illustrates where along the zodiac the sun, moon and planets were on a certain date. The world “horoscope” comes from two ancient Greek words, hora (meaning “time”) and skopos (meaning “watchman” or “marker”). Constellations are now only used in astrology to count fortunes and describe people’s characters.
But in the intervening centuries, the slow wobbling of the Earth’s axis has caused the solstice and equinox points to shift about 30 degrees westward relative to the constellations. At this time, the signs and constellations are about a calendar month away. In another two thousand years or so, they will be free for about two months. Over the course of a year, the sun appears to be in front of or “in” different constellations.
So scientific observation of the positions of stars merges with speculation about divine influence. Astronomical observation begins with the first civilizations of Mesopotamia, where prominent constellations are recognized and named shortly after 3000 BC. Similarly, observers of the Mesopotamian sky identify the five wandering stars, which with the sun and moon form the original seven “planets” (Greek for “wanderers”). The Sumerians in Mesopotamia, a historical region in Western Asia, were the first to notice the movements of planets and stars. Around 3000 BC, they recorded and identified prominent constellations and patterns. The Babylonians continued the sumerians’ research and created the first wheel of the zodiac.