Nasa explains that the position of the “zodiac signs” has long ago changed. panic in women's magazines

Such wild rivers The world has not seen a leaking carcass and pillows roared to such an extent since the premiere of Titanic. But, as usually happens, it all started banal and simple. There were no signs of trouble that morning. The planet lived ordinary life: in New York, the Michaels and Jacobs, shouting loudly, traded shares, in Baku, a smiling Ali was selling delicious fruits at the bazaar, and the old mechanic Nazar Semenych from Kondopoga was destroying the remnants of cherry liqueur with intense sips before leaving the house. Birds sang, vapers smoked (“It’s steam, it’s not prohibited!”), and elections of deputies to municipal assemblies once again took place with a predictable result.

But still, you, working people, get hit in the gut, as they say, with a grenade! No need to wait, something truly terrible has happened. Later, this day will be called black in the editorial offices of all women's magazines in the world: on the educational portal NASA SpacePlace, the world community was reminded that the position of the constellations (including the zodiac) relative to the ecliptic of the Sun is constantly changing due to precession.

But what do these mysterious terms mean?

This scientific remark caused a stormy reaction in the women's press: “For the first time in 2000 years, NASA has updated astrological signs! 86% of us have changed their horoscope sign!” One can imagine the stress the news caused for those who believe in astrology. If the horoscope sign has changed, these unfortunate people will have to reconsider their entire lives. Perhaps even change her husband.

I must admit, it turned out to be significant trolling on the part of NASA.

NASA SpacePlace simply explains that astronomy and astrology are completely different things. Astrology is in no way a science. No one has proven that with the help of astrology it is possible to predict the future or characterize a person based solely on his date of birth. This is a completely stupid assumption. In principle, most people understand this. Even those who like to read every day understand this. fairy tales mine " astrological forecast"or "horoscope" for the day. But there are also exceptions. In some particularly advanced cases, people even make important life decisions taking into account the position of the stars in the sky - for example, they compare zodiac signs different people to determine their compatibility.

NASA SpacePlace gives a quick introduction to what the zodiac and zodiac constellations are.

The zodiac (from Greek “circle of animals”) is a belt near the ecliptic along which the apparent annual movement of the Sun occurs, as well as the sequence of sections into which this belt is divided. While the Sun moves almost strictly along the ecliptic, different constellations periodically shift north or south of the ecliptic. The ecliptic passes through 13 constellations: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces and Ophiuchus - but they decided to ignore the last one for convenience.

When the Earth, the Sun and the constellation are approximately on the same imaginary line, then astrologers believe that at that time “the Sun is in such and such a constellation.”

In ancient times, astronomers did not fully understand how the Earth, Sun, and stars moved. They did not understand the scale of the Universe, but still did not give up trying to find some kind of pattern. They tried hard to figure out what they were seeing in the starry sky. Thanks to the rich human imagination, astrology fits quite harmoniously into many ancient religions.

People imagined that constellations could be important symbols, tell stories about their gods and illustrate myths, ancient stories and tales. We see echoes of those ancient pagan religions and myths now in the form of “horoscopes” in women's magazines.

The concept of the zodiac and zodiac constellations was first introduced in Babylon about 3,000 years ago. Since Babylon used a 12-month calendar based on the phases of the moon, it was very convenient to divide the zodiac into 12 equal parts that correspond to the months.

According to Babylonian sources, they numbered 13 zodiacal constellations, so one had to be abandoned for convenience. Unfortunately, even after this, some of the selected dozen did not fit well into the allotted 1/12 of the year and went beyond their segment. For example, the Sun passes against the background of the constellation Virgo for 45 days, against the background of Scorpio - 7 days, against the background of Ophiuchus - 18 days. All this was simplified, and Ophiuchus was thrown out altogether.

After 3,000 years, the picture has changed a little. The fact is that when the Earth rotates, precession of the Earth's axis is observed with a period of 25,800 years.

Precession with a period of 25,800 years occurs under the influence of the gravity of the Moon, the Sun and the heterogeneity of the density of mass distribution inside the Earth.

Ancient astronomers did not know this, so they did not assume that the zodiacal constellations would shift relative to the calendar year. But that's exactly what happened. Therefore, the current picture of the zodiac is slightly different from the one calculated 3000 years ago.

Women's magazines publish a real table of horoscope signs (by dates of the calendar year) adjusted for precession as of 2016. For example, those born on August 4 considered themselves Leos (or Lionesses), but with updated horoscope dates they became Cancers.

Well, the trolls from NASA SpacePlace note that the accuracy of the “horoscopes” will not change due to corrections for precession. It was zero, and will remain so. Unfortunately, part of the population will not stop looking for magical advice for their lives. For example, 21% of UK residents read horoscopes “often” or “very often”, and 25% of respondents consider astrology to be a “very scientific” discipline. Surprisingly, even in scientific journals Sometimes works devoted to astrology are published.

Well, we can only hope that horoscope fans will quickly recover from the blow of the insidious scientists from NASA.

Change is an integral part of the life of any person. And with the advent of the new year, 2016, many Zodiac Signs will be able to enjoy them to the fullest. To find out in which area changes await a specific Sign, check out the astrologers' forecast for this year 2016.

Experts in the field of astrology suggest that you take any predictions calmly, since personal changes this year will largely depend on ourselves, and luck will be needed only in achieving goals.

Aries

Change is achievable for you, and it is most likely to happen in love. The stars favor new acquaintances who will bring you good luck. Perhaps you will suddenly find love among your not-so-close circle. For those Aries who are already mutually in love, the Stars will also bring good luck - changes will lead you to new emotions, intensifying your feelings.

Taurus

2016 will be a calm year, but the Stars are favorable to sluggish changes. This means that we should expect something new only by the end of the year. Beware of those who do not believe in you, because the Stars will be able to lead you to your goal, but not right away. For this you will need strength.

Twins

Material changes await you. As for friendship, work and family, everything promises to be more than calm. Many interesting purchases await you, so astrologers advise carefully purchasing expensive things and appreciating what you already have. Then Luck will be on your side.

Cancer

Favorable changes await Cancers. According to the forecast for 2016, it is better to keep close people nearby, listening to their advice. Change will be more likely to be positive, especially if you listen to those you respect and those who are close to you.

a lion

2016 is full of events for Leo, but to ensure that luck is on your side, be careful at the beginning of the year, setting yourself the right goals. Following the accepted course will have a positive effect on Luck, but wandering at random can lead to stagnation.

Virgo

This year, no big shocks or major changes are expected, but you will be able to prepare yourself for the future by strengthening yourself in the positions you already occupy. This opportunity is worth appreciating, since this year you will have a rare chance to correct the mistakes of the past. Beware of promises - according to the advice of the stars, it is better to believe only in yourself.

Scales

Nothing is impossible for you this year. The stars will help you achieve changes in any area of your life, but to attract good luck, the horoscope recommends that you be responsive and kind to your family. Beware of negative emotions - they can become your worst enemy.

Scorpion

IN material world A time of stagnation may come for you, but real changes await you in the emotional world. The stars promise you a transformation in your mood, which can positively affect success in other areas of life. Maybe you change your religion or abandon old beliefs in another area.

Sagittarius

You will be able to manage the changes yourself, since the Stars say that absolutely everything is in your hands. The only thing they can influence is luck, which you may need so much. Changes for the better are possible with a high probability, but you will only be able to evaluate the results by the summer.

Capricorn

This year is like a transit point for you. Astrologers say that Capricorn's forecast for this year involves a period of active planning. It is advisable to complete everything started by the middle of the year, and begin new life projects by the end. These are your changes, in which the Stars will be on your side.

Aquarius

Questions "why?" and for what?" not for you. Main question in 2016 for you - “how?”. Luck is on your side and you can make a difference, but according to the forecast for this year, you may have to resort to non-standard ways their decisions.

Fish

Significant changes await you in the business sphere, so we recommend that you have patience and strength, since the Stars promise good luck only to persistent and hardworking Pisces. Without persistence, these changes will become a movement without tangible results. Resilience will help you reach new heights.

This will be the year 2016, which promises us many new opportunities. For some, dynamism is a routine that requires calm and rest. Someone, in turn, will be incredibly happy about this movement, which has not happened in a calm and gray life for a long time. The main thing is to find the positive in everything that happens, giving it a rational explanation. We wish you good luck in the new year, big changes, and don't forget to press the buttons and

22.12.2015 01:00

A person’s abilities, successes, health and destiny are largely predetermined by the position of the Moon in one of the zodiac...

In the first millennium BC. residents ancient Babylon They designated constellations in the sky that resembled animals and called them the Zodiac. At that time, people lived according to the lunar calendar, which meant only one thing: there were only 12 months in a year. Ancient astrologers considered it necessary to tie the Zodiac to the months so that they would patronize them. It’s a pity that there were 13 constellations, but the shamans of that time were not very upset; they simply excluded the extra one, Ophiuchus.

In September 2016, the media was shocked by amazing news - there are 13 zodiac signs in the horoscope. It was said that this theory was confirmed by NASA and panic immediately began among the masses, because now there would be a shift in the horoscope and real astrological forecasts could be considered invalid. Approximately 68% of people, when the thirteenth sign appears in the horoscope, will receive a different zodiac sign.

What really happened? In fact, NASA has never stated that a 13th constellation needs to be added to astrological forecasts. They believe that everything that astrology suggests is fundamentally wrong. After all, the constellations have long changed their position, and, accordingly, the dates. In addition, the Babylonians gave each sign an equal time of action in the year, although to be precise, the active zodiac is determined by the position of the Sun in the constellation. And it stays there for a relatively uneven amount of time. For example, the Sun is in Scorpio for 7 days, while in the constellation Virgo it is for 45 days.

All the rumors and misunderstandings arose from the fact that NASA released a children's encyclopedia, where they indicated that 3000 years ago ancient people discovered 13 constellations and listed them, indicating new dates for the Zodiac:

Zodiac sign	What date will it take effect?
Capricorn	20.01 – 16.02
Aquarius	16.02 – 11.03
Fish	11.03 – 18.04
Aries	18.04 – 13.05
Taurus	13.05 – 21.06
Twins	21.06 – 20.07
Cancer	20.07 – 10.08
a lion	10.08 – 16.09
Virgo	16.09 – 30.10
Scales	30.10 – 23.11
Scorpion	23.11 – 29.11
Ophiuchus	29.11 – 17.12
Sagittarius	17.12 – 20.01

The materials presented in the table show not only the time when Ophiuchus comes into force, but also the dates of the constellation’s activity according to how long the Sun is in them. Thus, the NASA table can be considered a reliable source of information about from what date this or that sign is valid. And if everything is generally known about other constellations in the horoscope, then many people do not even know about the existence of Ophiuchus.

Who is he - the mysterious Ophiuchus?

Ophiuchus (Ophiuchus from Greek, “carrying a snake in his hands”) is the 13th sign of the zodiac, which is not an established rule in the astrological teachings of the West. Astronomers say this constellation cannot be ignored, but astrologers insist that the absence or presence of Ophiuchus has no effect on making predictions. After all, the zodiac is nothing more than a 30-degree sector of the ecliptic, which is in no way connected with the constellations. As already mentioned formerly Earth does not stand still, but constantly spins around its axis and over 3000 years the signs of the zodiac have shifted by 24 degrees.

In the 1920s, as part of the summit of the International Astronomical Union, a complete list of constellations was compiled with a boundary established between them. Then it was noticed that the ecliptic line touches small area celestial sphere, which can be attributed to the constellation Ophiuchus. Somewhat later, astrologers began to notice the presence of this sign within the boundaries of the ecliptic, but they had no compelling reason to include it in the horoscope.

True, some astrologers say that since a sign falls within the ecliptic, it means there are good reasons to calculate the horoscope for its bearers. It is believed that people born between November 29 and December 17 are marked with the sign of Ophiuchus.

Perhaps Ophiuchus is the only constellation whose prototype was a real-life person - the healer Imhotep. This was the first famous history a doctor who healed the sick with snake venom.

Ophiuchus does not have its own place in the zodiac circle. And those few days when Ophiuchus influences the destinies of people are called the “burnt path.”

There is even a legend that says that Phaeton, while driving a heavenly chariot, could not cope with the horses. They carried him across the sky. Phaeton was frightened by Scorpio and threw down the reins. The horses rushed to the Earth and began to destroy and burn everything. Then Gaia asked Zeus to destroy the fiery chariot. He struck with lightning, and the chariot scattered into small fragments around the constellation Scorpio.

And those born during this period follow in the footsteps of the heavenly chariot. They burn bridges behind them, or simply destroy everything, and then are reborn from the ashes.

Characteristics of those born under this sign

Ophiuchus are wanderers; they often move, meet new people and can find their own approach to everyone. Their life is a series of endless ups and downs. The description of the thirteenth constellation is a man with a serpent in his hands. In one hand he holds a golden snake, and in the other a silver one. This duality means that Ophiuchus embodies the flame of life and the cold of death.

Ophiuchus people look at the world carefree and enjoy life, although on the other hand they have a cold mind and are confident that there is nothing interesting in life.

For Ophiuchus, his life is a battlefield where there is only him and his problems, and everything depends only on his decision.

Another interesting fact(it is unknown whether it is true or not) but Pavel Globa assures that Ophiuchus can be not only someone who was born at a certain moment, but any other zodiac sign that has two planets at the end of the sign Scorpio and at the beginning of the sign Sagittarius that are in 8 and 9th house. Then the fate of such a person will be similar to the fate of Ophiuchus. Ophiuchus is also distinguished by the fact that when everything in their life is smooth and goes as usual, at one moment everything collapses.

The characteristics of the date of birth of Ophiuchus are quite simple - this is a dual person who, on one side of the scale, has a devil-may-care attitude towards life, and on the other, a desire to live to the fullest.

Horoscope Ophiuchus. Man/woman – main characteristics and compatibility.

The lucky number of this sign is 12, the color is purple, and the element is water. Regarding the question of which stones are suitable, the undoubted leader is apatite.

The main character traits that these signs possess:

Wisdom.
Peacefulness.
Luck.
Daydreaming.
Determination.

They trust him, he loves his family and prefers bright colors in clothes. Often has musical abilities and always strives for something new.

Positive aspects of personality:

Positive. Regardless of the contradictions that arise, Ophiuchus remains positive, possessing a subtle sense of humor.
Honest. Ophiuchus people do not like to waste time, so they do not waste time on lies.
Intellectual. It's quite rare for a zodiac to be smart and creative at the same time, but exceptions do happen.
Not prone to routine. Ophiuchus easily gets used to changes, they do not like when life is stagnant, but they prefer to accept the challenges of fate.
Well developed intuition. In any life situations they act as their heart tells them.
Charisma. Ophiuchus is charismatic and always strives to attract everyone's attention.
People with a rich imagination. Spurred by a competitive spirit, they willingly demonstrate their creativity.
Loves to win. Always strive for success in everything.
Stealth. Although Ophiuchus prefers to experience the world through feelings, they do not like to share these feelings with others

Negative aspects of personality:

Polygamy. This cannot be taken away from Ophiuchus. Actually, this is the main problem of finding a partner; no one will tolerate such an attitude.
Jealousy. As already mentioned, Ophiuchus is a paradoxical person, he is as jealous as he is polygamous.
Critical. Particularly if they try to hurt their feelings.
Irresponsible. For a rich imagination you have to pay, often with irresponsibility in some areas of life. It is much easier for Ophiuchus to create their own illusory world and not pay attention to what is happening around them.
Restlessness. Standing in one place for too long is not for him.
"After". Ophiuchus people dream with pleasure, but they can make their dreams come true later. By the way, this notorious “later” very often turns into “never”.
They leave near them only what is useful. In general, a good skill, but this also applies to connections with other people. If Ophiuchus does not need the friend who was with him for a long time, he will leave him without regrets.

Compatibility with other signs is quite difficult to determine. Since Ophiuchus is “new” among the Zodiacs, compatibility can only be seen in general terms.

Another Ophiuchus may be compatible with Ophiuchus. They understand each other very well, and even accept and understand their shortcomings. An alliance with Capricorn will be harmonious. Capricorns are loyal, goal-oriented career, have a developed intellect, they and Ophiuchus will have something to talk about.

The most compatible with Ophiuchus are Pisces. No matter how strange it may sound, these signs have a lot in common. They are creative people who love to indulge in dreams, adapt easily and give great importance to your emotions. Relationships with Cancer and Libra will also develop harmoniously.

But Ophiuchus and Sagittarius will be out of luck, who will try to surpass the representatives of the new sign. Aquarians change their mood too often, which gets on the nerves of Ophiuchus. As for Aries, he, like Ophiuchus, is too impatient to achieve what he wants and resorts to aggression, while the “carrier of the snake” suppresses his impatience with an emotional “explosion”.

Taurus is too stable for the changeable Ophiuchus, so they will never be able to find mutual language. Gemini is perhaps the only sign that can hurt Ophiuchus without doing anything special. Since Leos and Ophiuchus want the same thing, but in different forms, then they will never reach a compromise. Virgos are too scrupulous, and Scorpios will simply strangle the monogamous Ophiuchus with their jealousy and sense of ownership.

Having appeared on the zodiac circle, Ophiuchus shifts all signs by month, but as recent studies show, this does not greatly affect astrological forecasts. Firstly, a representative of any zodiac sign can be born with the qualities of Ophiuchus, it all depends on the location of the planets. And secondly, the signs of the zodiac have long moved in orbit, but astrologers still calculate the future, paying attention only to the 30-degree sector of one of the twelve parts of the ecliptic zone. Whether Ophiuchus will be present in astrological forecasts or not is not so important, the main thing is to know that such a Zodiac exists and remember that it can extend its influence to any person.

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Are you trolling? Oh well.

This is your unsubstantiated opinion.

Well, yes, but your “it’s just an accident!”, “a couple of hundred people are enough!” and so on - of course, reasoned, supported by calculations and mathematical models. I'm just reading)

You have everything

one of the heaps of myths that surround any ancient structure.

and any accuracy is a “coincidence.” I’m sure that even the pillar of Indra you cited as an example also turned out so pure “by itself.”
The problem is that this kind of rhetoric is anti-scientific. Whether you like it or not.

You deny the PND, asserting the principles and motives for recommending buildings.
You are ignoring:

It seems to you now that that window is pointing exactly to that star on the night before an important harvest

facts that there are dozens of structures indicating a specific astronomical event/phenomenon specifically associated with the relevant processes.
With your argumentation, one can easily accuse Lev Nikolaevich of not writing War and Peace. After all, the monkeys could have done this by accident!

The only more or less weighty argument

You “read somewhere once” that the accuracy there is simply impossible, but you don’t remember exactly, you don’t have any sources.

- alas, yes. But I read and processed information a LOT, especially when I was young. And, yes, I can’t give specific references to all of my knowledge (especially based on information accumulated in my youth). But, I beg your pardon, can you point out to me exactly the author of the textbook, say, chemistry, that you read at school? Provide links to everything science articles and dissertations you have ever read? (although, perhaps, you have read about 20 of them - then you can. But my home library alone has more than 400 volumes. I can’t even estimate the number of articles)

Because - yes, I take an article, critically evaluate the premises, topic, methods and documents/materials described there (now, with the development of electronic means, I still conduct some searches and comparisons using them), and if, in my opinion, the article turns out to be sufficiently “suitable” (scientific, consistent, thorough), I filter out the subjective judgments of the author and remember the main/most clear facts, ideas, results.
My memory, which is still quite good, is enough for me. (however, many scientists act this way, unlike students who do not know how to independently generate “information content,” as it is now commonly called)

However, this is not important, because... You're not looking for controversy, you're looking for something to cling to. Because there were a bunch of examples, and those for which more information could be found (the absurdity of the descriptions is more clearly visible or there are enough sources where the lack of a proper explanation is noted), you chose to “not notice.”

Regarding “nonsense and TK”, including “b)”, I cited several facts, even quite new ones (without referring to the notorious topic of geocentric theory or Newton’s “occultism”). You can google how they treated, quite recently, genetics, Lobachevsky’s geometry, cybernetics (in the USSR), psychology... Very different directions(or branches) of science, which are more than concrete today. Again, these are global and vivid examples, but if we take narrower ones (like quantum physics and other theories within the same science), it’s generally quiet horror.
So these are just facts - both sufficiently confirmed by experience (statistically), and clearly explainable from the point of view of sociology/psychology (personal).

A considerable number of “inexplicable” artifacts have long been explained

yes, here are just some (too many) “explanations” at your level of “this is an accident”, “of course” - including the example I gave about “trampled hedgehogs” (quite a scientist, with a bunch of degrees, spoke)

And this in no way compromises science.

exactly. This compromises “pseudo-scientists” and those who like to throw around the definition of “scientific community”. He is personally compromising you.
But science, of course, no. This can compromise the average person’s idea of science, careless individuals who present themselves as scientists. But not science as an idea.

Oh yes.

I would like to note that non-scientific statements most often come from people with scientific degrees in completely different fields.

– you are very mistaken. Usually, facts that refute established theories and models according to which certain person(or group) is used to working (and, even more so, if it receives funding for research in this area).
Plus the classic desire to have a “solid” picture of the world, as a way of maintaining (feeling) the so-called. "comfort zones".
Am I delusional? do you like authorities?

Here's from the materials of the All-Russian Scientific Conference for 2010:

One should not hide the fact that the emergence of a new competing theory necessitates familiarization with it, taking time and effort away from productive work according to a well-established template, which causes understandable irritation in the case when the scientist does not see his place in the new open field research.

Moreover, I would say that at the moment there is practically no place left in science for “knowledge in a specific field.” Science is on the border where logic, mathematics, physics, psychology, even biology, etc., begin to strongly “intersect” and intertwine. We come to understand (consciously, not intuitively, as before) that some processes (the principle of their operation) are universal and applicable to most (all?) areas ( scientific knowledge). Previously, this concerned mainly logic (analysis and reasoning)

If you do not want to devote yourself to this, this is where your interaction with the object of research should end

wrong. If I see a certain fact, I may not devote myself to it. But if someone claims that he has “researched” and “explained,” then I can check his explanation - at least at a minimal level (corresponding to my knowledge of the field). And if at this level, the "explanation" or research methodology is clearly (by definition) unscientific or insufficient, I have the right to point it out.

Again, your thesis could easily be returned to you, in the context of this topic: “If you do not want to devote yourself to astrology, this should be the end of your interaction with the object of research.”
Oh, well, you probably excluded consistency from the principles of scientific knowledge...)

However, neither such an exception nor our long correspondence cancels these principles. Or the possibility of their use in astrology (or anywhere else)

But yes, I already spent a lot of time on you. For this I dare to bow out,

The world has not seen such turbulent rivers of flowing carcasses and pillows roaring to such an extent since the premiere of Titanic. But, as usually happens, it all started banal and simple. There were no signs of trouble that morning. The planet lived an ordinary life: in New York, the Michaels and Jacobs, shouting loudly, traded shares, in Baku, the smiling Ali was selling delicious fruits at the market, and the old mechanic Nazar Semenych from Kondopoga was destroying the remnants of the cherry liqueur with intense sips before leaving the house. Birds sang, vapers smoked (“It’s steam, it’s not prohibited!”), and elections of deputies to municipal assemblies once again took place with a predictable result. But still, you, working people, get hit in the gut, as they say, with a grenade! No need to wait, something truly terrible has happened. Later, this day will be called black in the editorial offices of all women's magazines in the world: on the educational portal NASA SpacePlace, the world community was reminded that the position of the constellations (including the zodiac) relative to the ecliptic of the Sun is constantly changing due to precession. But what do these mysterious terms mean?
This scientific remark caused a strong reaction in the women's press: “NASA has updated the astrological signs for the first time in 2000 years! 86% of us have changed their horoscope sign!” One can imagine the stress the news caused for those who believe in astrology. If the horoscope sign has changed, these unfortunate people will have to reconsider their entire lives. Perhaps even change her husband. I must admit, it turned out to be significant trolling on the part of NASA. NASA SpacePlace simply explains that astronomy and astrology are completely different things. Astrology is in no way a science. No one has proven that with the help of astrology it is possible to predict the future or characterize a person based solely on his date of birth. This is a completely stupid assumption. In principle, most people understand this. This is understood even by those who like to read their “astrological forecast” or “horoscope” for the day every day like fairy tales. But there are also exceptions. In some particularly advanced cases, people even make important life decisions taking into account the position of the stars in the sky - for example, comparing the zodiac signs of different people to determine their compatibility. NASA SpacePlace gives a quick introduction to what the zodiac and zodiac constellations are. The zodiac (from Greek “circle of animals”) is a belt near the ecliptic along which the apparent annual movement of the Sun occurs, as well as the sequence of sections into which this belt is divided. While the Sun moves almost exactly along the ecliptic, different constellations periodically move north or south of the ecliptic. The ecliptic passes through 13 constellations: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces and Ophiuchus - but they decided to ignore the last one for convenience. When the Earth, the Sun and the constellation are approximately on the same imaginary line, then astrologers believe that at that time “the Sun is in such and such a constellation.”
In ancient times, astronomers did not fully understand how the Earth, Sun, and stars moved. They did not understand the scale of the Universe, but still did not give up trying to find some kind of pattern. They tried hard to figure out what they were seeing in the starry sky. Thanks to the rich human imagination, astrology fits quite harmoniously into many ancient religions.
People imagined that constellations could be important symbols, tell stories about their gods and illustrate myths, ancient stories and tales. We now see echoes of those ancient pagan religions and myths in the form of “horoscopes” in women’s magazines.
The concept of the zodiac and zodiac constellations was first introduced in Babylon about 3,000 years ago. Since Babylon used a 12-month calendar based on the phases of the moon, it was very convenient to divide the zodiac into 12 equal parts that correspond to the months.
According to Babylonian sources, they numbered 13 zodiacal constellations, so one had to be abandoned for convenience. Unfortunately, even after this, some of the selected dozen did not fit well into the allotted 1/12 of the year and went beyond their segment. For example, the Sun passes against the background of the constellation Virgo for 45 days, against the background of Scorpio - 7 days, against the background of Ophiuchus - 18 days. All this was simplified, and Ophiuchus was thrown out altogether. After 3,000 years, the picture has changed a little. The fact is that when the Earth rotates, precession of the Earth's axis is observed with a period of 25,800 years.
Precession with a period of 25,800 years occurs under the influence of the gravity of the Moon, the Sun and the heterogeneity of the density of mass distribution inside the Earth.
Ancient astronomers did not know this, so they did not assume that the zodiacal constellations would shift relative to the calendar year. But that's exactly what happened. Therefore, the current picture of the zodiac is slightly different from the one calculated 3000 years ago.
Women's magazines publish a real table of horoscope signs (by dates of the calendar year) adjusted for precession as of 2016. For example, those born on August 4 considered themselves Leos (or Lionesses), but with updated horoscope dates they became Cancers.
Capricorn: January 20 - February 16 Aquarius: February 16 - March 11 Pisces: March 11 - April 18 Aries: April 18 - May 13 Taurus: May 13 - June 21 Gemini: June 21 - July 20 Cancer: July 20 - August 10 Leo : August 10 - September 16 Virgo: September 16 - October 30 Libra: October 30 - November 23 Scorpio: November 23 - November 29 Ophiuchus: November 29 - December 17 Sagittarius: December 17 - January 20
Well, the trolls from NASA SpacePlace note that the accuracy of the “horoscopes” will not change due to corrections for precession. It was zero, and will remain so. Unfortunately, part of the population will not stop looking for magical advice for their lives. For example, 21% of UK residents read horoscopes “often” or “very often”, and 25% of respondents consider astrology to be a “very scientific” discipline. Surprisingly, even scientific journals sometimes publish works on astrology.
Well, we can only hope that horoscope fans will quickly recover from the blow of the insidious scientists from NASA.