have you ever heard someone say, "I'm a Capricorn" or "I'm a Scorpio"? Read on if you've ever wondered what they were talking about. The Zodiac is the subject of today's Wonder of the Day!
hese early astronomers tried to make a map of the stars in the sky so they could make an agricultural calendar. This calendar would show when crops should be planted and harvested based on when certain stars and/or constellations rose and set.
Early astronomers made a celestial coordinate system based on the Sun's path across the sky over the course of a year. This path, called the ecliptic, was used to figure out latitude, and the position of the Sun at the vernal equinox was used to figure out longitude. Then, they used longitude to divide the celestial sphere into 12 parts. These 12 parts are known as the 12 signs of the zodiac.
Greeks and Romans adopted the zodiac. Zodiac means "small animal sign" in Greek. This makes logical since several zodiac signs are animal-based.
Astrology now dominates the zodiac. Astrology, unlike astronomy, is an art. Astrology is a set of beliefs and traditions that tie the stars and planets to Earthly happenings. Astrologers forecast human behaviour based on star and planet movements. Astrologers believe they can anticipate a person's personality based on their zodiac sign and the stars and planets at their birth.
Many people believe in astrology, yet few think the stars and planets affect life on Earth. The zodiac is interesting even if you don't believe in astrology.
Aries — the ram (March 21-April 19)
Taurus — the bull (April 20-May 20)
Gemini — the twins (May 21-June 20)
Cancer — the crab (June 21-July 22)
Leo — the lion (July 23-August 22)
Virgo — the maiden (August 23-September 22)
Libra — the scales (Sep 23-October 22)
Scorpio — the scorpion (Oct 23-Nov 21)
Sagittarius — the archer (Nov 22-Dec 21)
Capricorn — the sea goat
(December 22-January 19)
Aquarius — the water bearer (January 20-February 18)
Pisces — the fish
(February 19-March 20)