Astronomy or Astrology

A science news story has been making the rounds regarding the zodiac.  When Parke Kunkle, a board member of the Minnesota Planetarium Society commented on the true dates of the zodiac, the firestorm erupted (okay maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit here).

Kunkle correctly pointed out that the traditional astrological dates for our zodiac signs do not match up to what is happening in the sky.  Since the zodiac was created by the Babylonians over 2000 years ago, the Earth's perspective on the stars has shifted slightly.  This has shifted the dates of your Sun Sign (the location in the sky when you were born).  In short, 88% of people aren't the sign they think they are.  Below are the traditional dates next to the actual dates.  If you don't want to know the truth, turn away now!



For larger view, right-click pic and open in new window


I understand that it is difficult to learn that your whole astrological life has been a lie.  But don't panic.  Astrologers use the Tropical Zodiac (where the constellations were in 150AD).  They seem to be stuck on that because it is "more accurate."  But to me (and the Babylonian creators of the zodiac) a Virgo is a Virgo because the Sun stood in front of the constellation Virgo when you were born.  It wasn't sitting in front of Leo.  The reality of the zodiac is very simple - anyone can see it.  Using the outdated dates cheapen the original Babylonian idea of the zodiac.  If you told the Babylonian king that the Sun was going to be in Leo and he went outside to check and it wasn't, that astrologer would be in big trouble :)  They were measuring the relationship of the Sun, Moon, and planets with the ancient star patterns that they pass through.  You can't take the stars out of the equation.  Don't call me a Sagittarius when the Sun was really in front of Scorpio when I was born...

*Oh by the way, the 13th zodiac sign included in the chart above (Ophiuchus) is a guy holding a giant snake.  Have fun with that one...
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Pisces the Fish

Enough 2012 stuff, let's get back to the constellation mythology.

To the left of Aquarius is the zodiac constellation Pisces the Fish. If you thought Aquarius was hard to find, Pisces is even worse. The stars are all so faint that they are only visible from a dark sky away from city lights. There is a ring of stars for one fish that's tied by a string a stars to another fish left and then up from the first fish. It looks like an "L" drawn with the base too long. Where the cord bends, you will find a star called Al Rischa which means, "The Knot of the Band."

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The story behind Pisces is related to the one about Capricornus. A long time ago the gods were terrorized by a roving monster named Typhon. He was such a horrible creature with 100 dragon heads instead of fingers. When Typhon came around all of the gods hid by changing into animals. Apollo turned into a crow, Diana into a cat, and Venus and Cupid (the gods of love) turned into fish. They jumped into the Euphrates River to escape Typhon but tied their tails together so that that would never be parted.

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Pisces is part of a very watery part of the sky that includes Aquarius the Water Bearer, Piscis Australis, and the fish-half of Capricornus. I don't believe in astrology but the Sun does go through Pisces from March 12 to April 18. If you were born between those dates, according to an astronomer, you're a Pisces.

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Aquarius the Water Bearer

Over the next few weeks we'll focus on three hard-to-find, but interesting zodiac constellations. First up: Aquarius the Water Bearer.

According to Greek mythology, Aquarius represents a teenager named Ganymede, Prince of Troy. Once upon a time, The Head Honcho, The Big Cheese, Zeus, was thirsty. Despite all of his mighty powers, Zeus liked to be served by both gods and mortals. And since he was forever thirsty he decided to employ Ganymede to be his full-time water bearer. Instead of sending a formal invitation to join the staff on Mt. Olympus, Zeus sent down his pet eagle to snatch the boy up off the streets of Troy. Ganymede goes from a prince, to a servant, to almost god-like as a constellation. What an up and down story. Ganymede is also the name of Jupiter's moons (the largest in the solar system).

Aquarius is tough to imagine but easy to find. Just look to the left of Jupiter at night and that's where his stars lie. Good luck picturing a young man pouring water to the southern horizon.