New Zodiac Ophiuchus: Has your sign changed?

Ophiuchus is a rarely used astrological sign that is not included in most versions of the Zodiac calendars. It is also known as 'Serpentarius' with its dates falling between November 29 and December 17.

The ancient Babylonians based zodiac signs on the constellation the Sun was 'in' on the day a person is born.

Ophiuchus used to be counted between Scorpio and Sagittarius. But it was discarded by the Babylonians because they wanted 12 signs per year.

If this is true, then the popular understanding of the zodiac is off by about a month. People vented on the internet about losing the signs with which they have identified themselves for years.

Which basically means that the signs people were born under are different now because the Earth's wobble on its axis created a one-month bump in the alignment of stars.

According to a CNN blog, the tropical zodiac - which is fixed to seasons, and which Western astrology adheres to - differs from the sidereal zodiac - which is fixed to constellations and is followed more in the East, and is the type of zodiac to which the Star Tribune article ultimately refers.

The Internet was buzzing with questions over how the new sign which was not in the old Zodiac system used by the Babylonian astrology will change their zodiacs.

Taken from the Greek word for 'serpent-bearer', the sign is portrayed by a man grasping the snake that is represented by the constellation Serpens. Ophiuchus was one of the 48 constellations proposed by Ptolemy in the second century. It was earlier known as Serpentarius, a Latin word for serpent-bearer.

The new sign will cover those born between Nov. 29 and Dec. 17 while Sagittarius will move into the 13 th position covering from Dec. 17 to Jan. 20.

What are Ophiuchus character traits?

Those born in Ophiuchus are said to be honest, intellectual, sexually magnetic, prone to change and jealous.

Las Campanas Observatory

Las Campanas Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the Carnegie Institution for Science It was established in 1969 and remains the primary observing site of that institution. The headquarters is located in La Serena, Chile 29.91041°S 71.24076°W and the observatory is in the southern Atacama desert and about 100 km to the northeast of the city. The observatory is at an altitude of 2400 meters (7900 feet).


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http://www.lco.cl/

The Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory

The Cerro Tololo Astronomical Observatory is located about 500km north of Santiago, Chile, about 52km ESE (80km by road) of La Serena, at an altitude of 2200 meters. It lies on a 34,491Ha (85,227 ac.) site known as "Estancia El Tortoral" which was purchased by AURA on the open market in 1967 for use as an astronomical observatory.


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http://www.ctio.noao.edu/

European Southern Observatory (ESO)

ESO is the pre-eminent intergovernmental science and technology organisation in astronomy. It carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities for astronomy to enable important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research.


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http://www.eso.org/public/

How did the constellations get their names?

The present names of the constellations are given, in most countries, in Latin. The names have come to us from classic Greek civilization, which, in turn, took them from earlier sources. Some names have been given to various groups of stars by modern astronomers.
Every ancient civilization had its own names for various groups of stars. The Babylonian constellations were, for most part, much larger than the present constellations. The Babylonians, Egyptians, Arabs and Greeks have given names of the constellations. In many cases, a group of constellations are associated in Greek mythology. For example, the Perseus-Andromeda group, and it is difficult to tell whether the myth or the constellation came first. In many cases constellations had the same name in the languages of several ancient cultures. The Greeks and the American Indians all called the stars Ursa Major, "The Bear". The first catalogue of the constellations was Ptolemy's catalogue. Ptolemy listed 48 constellations. Ptolemy's constellations did not cover all the sky. There were gaps between groups of stars. Such spaces Ptolemy left blank. Ptolemy listed 108 stars.
Astronomers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries used some of Ptolemy's "unformed" stars as a basis for new constellations to fill in the vacant areas.
The 88 modern constellations contain 15 men and women, one head of hair, 9 birds, one insect, 22 land animals, 10 water living things, one serpent and 30 inanimate objects.

How to Identify the Zodiac Constellation Pisces

Instructions

1. • 1
     Look for Pisces in late September and early October. Pisces is a fall constellation and is best viewed in early autumn. It will rise in the east and can be seen by 10 p.m. However, due to the lack of prominent stars, Pisces shows up much better on moonless nights.
   • 2
     As with many autumn constellations, use the Great Square of Pegasus as a point of reference to locate Pisces. The Great Square looks just the way it sounds, and cannot be missed. It comes up over the horizon as the sun sets and the Earth's rotation brings it into view. Always picture the square as a baseball diamond, with second base rising first, followed by the rest of the constellation. Pegasus is a winged horse in mythology and the square is the main part of the horse's body.
   • 3
     Look for Pisces in what would be the first base box seats. If the Great Square is a baseball diamond, then the most recognizable part of Pisces is in back of the first base line. This would be what is called the "Circlet," a group of faint stars that form a circle. Pisces represents two fish held together by a cord on their tails. The Circlet is one of those fish.
   • 4
     Try to find the other fish of the Pisces duo on the opposite side of the Great Square. There is no circle of stars to form this fish; if anything, it would be an eel, because it is mostly a straight line of unremarkable and dim stars. However, if you have a small telescope, you can see the spiral galaxy known as M74, about halfway up the line of stars and to their left.
   • 5
     See if you can make out a "V." Both of these heavenly fish are connected at their tails. Pisces has a "V" shape, with the Circlet at the top of the upper right portion of the "V." The lack of bright stars in Pisces makes it, along with Aquarius and Aries, the hardest Zodiac constellation to locate in the sky. Pisces lies between these two in the Zodiac, but trying to find it based on that information is not of much help to the novice stargazer.

Pisces

Pisces is a faint Zodiac constellation that is astrologically associated with the month of March. People born between February 19 and March 20 are considered to be born under the sign of Pisces, since the sun seems to be in that constellation as it travels along the ecliptic, an imaginary line it appears to follow during the year.

How to Identify the Zodiac Constellation Aquarius

Instructions

1. • 1
     Wait for a dark autumn evening. Aquarius is comprised of very dim stars and is hard to find on even the darkest of nights. If the moon is out or you go outside at dusk, you have little chance of identifying Aquarius.
   • 2
     Find the Great Square of Pegasus first. The Great Square is a staple of the autumn night sky. It rises in the east in northern latitudes and can be plainly seen. It comes up like a giant kite or baseball diamond and is, of course, in the shape of a huge square. Aquarius is to the east, or the right, of this shape.
   • 3
     Look at the area to the right of what would be first base if the Great Square were a baseball diamond. If you have a keen eye and a clear view of this space, you will see what looks like a small triangle with a star not quite in the center. This is the head and arms of Aquarius, which is supposed to be a man pouring water from a great jar. Other constellations that border Aquarius include Capricornus and Aquila the Eagle. Aquila contains the bright star Altair. If the Great Square is one corner of a triangle, with Altair as another, then Aquarius is in the vicinity of what would complete the triangle.
   • 4
     Glance downwards from this triangle and try to make out the "legs" of Aquarius. The Water Bearer is bowlegged for sure. The legs branch out underneath him like a pair of parenthesis. The stars that make them up are not bright by any means, but if you have the right conditions you will see them and be able to discern their shape.
   • 5
     
     

     The brightest star in Aquarius is just to the right of the triangle that forms his head and arms. It is estimated to be almost 100 times larger than our own sun. There are now more modern and alternative connections of the stars in Aquarius. In the modern version of the February Zodiac constellation, that particular star is located in the neck of the Water Bearer. The newer way astromomers connect the stars in this region does look like a man with a water jug, but the stars they connect are so faint it is difficult to jump to that conclusion.

Aquarius

The constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer represents the eleventh sign of the Zodiac. It is one of the oldest constellations recognized by the ancients. It takes a sharp eye to find Aquarius, and an even sharper one to make out its shape in the heavens

How to Identify the February Zodiac Constellation Capricornus

Instructions

1. • 1
     Smile when you look for Capricornus. This constellation is comprised of dim stars and in no way looks like a goat. However, it does look very much like a smile--a grinning outline of a mouth to be exact. It also could be construed as a triangle or even a winged bird, but never a goat.
   • 2
     Look for Capricornus in the autumn months. Just because the sea-goat is the January constellation doesn’t mean that’s the best time to observe it. There are 12 Zodiac constellations and 12 months in the year, so the ancient astrologers associated a constellation with each month. Look towards the southern horizon in autumn; you will be able to make out the outline of Capricornus.
   • 3
     Discover the Northern Cross to find Capricornus. Cygnus the Swan, also called the Northern Cross, is a great “T’ shape in the sky. It contains the bright star, Deneb. If you can find this constellation, you can use it to locate Capricornus. Simply look downwards from Cygnus. Eventually, if Capricornus is far enough above the horizon, you will see it. Delphinus the Dolphin is also just above Capricornus. The dolphin is a diamond shaped group of stars with a small tail.
   • 4
     Wait for a dark moonless evening to seek Capricornus. Your chances of spotting this collection of faint stars increases the darker it is out. Capricornus is not too bright. Its brightest star is in the northeast corner of the “mouth,” with the next brightest holding up the other corner.
   • 5
     The Archer can point the way. Capricornus is to the west of Sagittarius the Archer in the Zodiac. Sagittarius is in the midst of the Milky Way, and is in the shape of a teapot. If you can find it, then you can also find Capricornus.

     
     

Capricornus

The year-long path of the sun against the background of fixed stars is known as the ecliptic. Any constellation (a group of star that forms a pattern in the sky) given a name by the ancients that contains the ecliptic is known as a Zodiac constellation. Capricornus is one such constellation. Capricornus is associated with January in astrology and represents a sea-goat, the mythological Pan who transformed himself into a fish to escape trouble one day. Capricornus is not an easy constellation to find.

How to Find and Identify the Zodiac Constellation Sagittarius

Instructions

Difficulty:

 

Moderately Challenging

1. • 1
     Travel to a location outside a city where the sky is darker. Locate the Milky Way overhead in the night sky.
   • 2
     Trace a line from the Milky Way down to the southern horizon. Look for a formation of stars that vaguely resemble a teapot.
   • 3
     Locate the spout of the tea kettle, made up of a small triangle of stars, with one star at the bottom and two above.
   • 4
     Look for the lid of the tea kettle, to the left upper lip of the spout. The lid is composed of another triangle of stars.
   • 5
     Find the handle of the teapot, located to the left of the bottom of the lid. The handle of the teapot is a quadrilateral made up of four stars.

Sagittarius

You can see the constellation Sagittarius at different times of the year depending on where you are in the world. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you can see it during the summer months; if you live in the Southern hemisphere, then it's visible during the winter months. The Greeks and Romans thought the constellation resembled a centaur shooting an arrow into the nearby constellation Scorpius. People nowadays often recognize it as resembling a teapot and consider it easier to find when looking for that figure.

How to Find and Identify the Zodiac Constellation Scorpius

Instructions

Difficulty:

 

Moderately Easy

1. • 1
     Venture outside and look to the southwest horizon late on a summer’s evening. This is the optimum time to view Scorpius. Scorpius lies in the Milky Way, the part of our galaxy thick with stars. You will need to be able to get a clear look at the horizon to see all of Scorpius.
   • 2
     Focus your attention on the reddish star Antares. This is the heart of Scorpius. It will be above the horizon and extremely obvious. Antares is what is called a red giant star and is many times larger than our own sun. Antares dominates this area of the sky, with no other stars nearly as luminous anywhere close to it. It is 500 light years from Earth and shines with a steady red hue. Antares means “rival of Mars,” which is a reference to how red it appears in comparison to the red planet.
   • 3
     Glance to the right of Antares to see the head of Scorpius. Five stars make up the head. The constellation Libra is beyond these stars and once was included as the “scorpion’s claws.” The top of Scorpius is like a small curve of stars, with the curve coming back toward Antares.
   • 4
     Look to the southwest of Antares for the rest of the scorpion’s body. The whole of Scorpius has the appearance of a fish hook or a wavy letter “J.” From Antares and down, the stars complete this shape, culminating in the tail of the scorpion. There is a small triangle of stars that form the stinger.
   • 5
     Use binoculars to see the many notable objects in Scorpius. There are several globular clusters, or groups of stars, many light years away held together by gravity. Train your binoculars to the northwest of Antares and you will see a myriad of stars that the naked eye does not see. This part of the Milky Way is rich in stars.