In Western astrology, Zodiac signs are the twelve 30° sectors of the ecliptic, starting at the vernal equinox. (Photo : YouTube/ PsychtoGo)
Earlier this month, reports surfaced that NASA had found a 13th Zodiac sign. What followed was a clamor, where every horoscope aficionado went ahead to check their signs in search of any loops. However, the agency has now clarified the issue saying that it did not necessarily imply that there was a new Zodiac sign.
The Zodiac sign uproar began an article found on NASA's website talked about constellations and the calendar. According to the article, Zodiac signs had been initially shaped to suit the Babylonian calendar years ago.
NASA said on its official website that the Babylonians lived over 3,000 years ago and divided the Zodiac into 12 equal parts. They selected 12 constellations in the Zodiac, one to represent each of the parts.
Hence, as the Earth orbited the sun, the Sun would appear to pass through each of the 12 divisions of the Zodiac. Because the Babylonians already had a calendar containing 12 months, which were based on the phases of the moon, each month was allocated a slice of the Zodiac.
However, even in Babylonian ancient times, as evidenced in their own stories, there were 13 constellations in the Zodiac. That means that they left out one of them, Ophiuchus. By then, the 12 selected Zodiac parts did not even fit neatly in their assigned slices of pie.
Ophiuchus is Latin and stands for "serpent bearer." It was first recorded by Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Regarding the Zodiac, Ophiuchus is meant to represent the people born between Nov 30 and Dec 17. The constellation itself contains Barnard's star, which is the second closest star to Earth.
The information has caused a massive outburst online as people question their horoscope charts, readings, as well as quiz results based on their particular Zodiac signs. NASA, however, has now come forward to clear the air.
NASA's message to the public is that it studies astronomy and not astrology. The agency has not changed any Zodiac sign and just performed the calculations.
According to NASA scientists, the constellations are different sizes and shapes, which means that the sun spends varying periods to line up with each one. Since the Babylonians created the 12 Zodiac signs, the sky has shifted because the Earth's axis has changed as well.
So, even with the "breaking" news, the 13th Zodiac sign will not change the game of Horoscope. Watch the clip below for a detailed explanation:
