jueves, 22 de diciembre de 2011

How do the sing of the zodiac relate to astronomy?



First of all, we'll define what the zodiac is. The zodiac is a region in the sky limited by two parallel planes to the elliptic. The Sun appears to move along the ecliptic as the earth orbits the Sun each year. The Zodiac are the twelve constellations that lie along the Ecliptic. With latitude +-8. Within this area we find all the important planets but Pluto, which is no longer considered a planet.
Constellations have a close relationship with zodiac signs. Every zodiac sign is linked to a constellation shaped like an animal. (Zodiac actually means “animal circle”, which comes from the greek word “zodiac). According to astrology, there are 12 to 13 constellations, unlike astronomy that only considers 12 of them as real ones.


News

New Zodiac Sign Dates: Ophiuchus The 13th Sign?

Your zodiac sign may not actually be your zodiac sign anymore.
Astronomer Parke Kunkle says that due to changes in the Earth's alignment the dates of many zodiac signs have changed, according to NBC. In addition, there may be a 13th Zodiac sign: Ophiuchus.

Kunkle says that as the Earth and Sun slowly move the signs gradually change, as expected.

The change didn't happen overnight either. The 12 signs were designated to different periods of the year almost 3,000 years ago, when astrology began, and since then the Earth's position in relation to the sun has changed.

While the sign many people were born under may now be different, it shouldn't affect horoscope readings, according to NBC.

UPDATE: The Associated Press reported Friday evening that Kunkle has since clarified his earlier statements, emphasizing "this is not new news," and "Astronomers have known about this since about 130 B.C."

ABC News reports popular astrologer Susan Miller called the claim of new Zodiac signs "ridiculous," adding "We've known about this for ages."

The confusion seems to be a result of Eastern vs. Western astrology. Most of us are familiar with tropical zodiac (Western), based on the seasons, which has not changed, though sidereal zodiac (Eastern), based on constellations, has different signs including a 13th. Is there a correct system? That's up for debate.

See if your Zodiac sign has changed below based on the new claim. (And find out if your friends' signs have changed here or under the dates below.)

  


The New Dates:

Capricorn: Jan. 20 - Feb. 16
Aquarius: Feb. 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 - Aug. 10
Leo: Aug. 10 - Sept. 16
Virgo: Sept. 16 - Oct. 30
Libra: Oct. 30 - Nov. 23
Scorpio: Nov. 23 - Nov. 29
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29 - Dec. 17
Sagittarius: Dec. 17 - Jan. 20



Identifying zodiac signs 


Traditionally, there are 12 zodiac signs, which are: Capricorn, Aquarium, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius.
Each of these signs has its own special shape and characteristics. Now, we'll describe each sign according to the astrology.

Capricorn

Capricorn is the tenth of the zodiac sings resembling a goat fish as far as zodiac symbols are concerned. It corresponds to the constellation of its name though the precession of the equinoxes has misaligned it from this constellation in westerm astrology.
Being the tenth sign, it also corresponds to the tenth house in astrology. It is considered to contain negative energies in it like earth, introversion and feminity. Saturn is the planet that rules the sign.
If you were born when the sun was there in this sign roughly from December 22 to January 21 on its ecplitic path, you own this sign, though sidereal zodiac takes these dates to be from January 15 to  February 12.  As for zodiac symbols, the constellation is shaped as the horns and tail of a goat fish or sea goat.             
Capricorns are usually very ambitious and a bit cold. They know what they want and are clear about the life goals. When it comes to social and emotional life, their coldness might come as an obstacle.
Capricorn is a stable character; he knows how yo be in control of himself and also understand his virtues and defects.Control, rationality and distrust dominate his emotional life. This sign tend to bring a lot of material comfort to his loved ones, but not as much of himself. Capricorns are noy very expressive to their mates.



Aquarium
This sign is very independent and has got a liberal spirit, who doesn't like to judge people. He enjoys being outdoors and experiencing intense emotions, that's why aquarium usually does some kind of extreme sport.

They don't like having a routine, unless they really love what they do in it. They have an altruistic spirit and always think of what they can do to help others. They love social meetings and know how to have fun.

They seek for friendship when they're lacking love and when they're in love; they don't stop enjoying their freedom and independency. Accordingly, they give enough space to their loved ones, they're not oppressive or jealous and consider that it's a good thing that everyone has its space. Aquariums are compatible with air and fire signs, such as Gemini, Libra (air) and Aries, Leo, Sagittarius.



Pisces

  




Pisces have a great imagination that they use to create new things and also solve problems. They're usually very calm and act in a gentle way. Their intuition for business and social relations is remarkable.
They're like a chameleon who's able to adapt to any environment and they do so creatively. Pisces is a sign of many talents.




Aries


 Aries appreciates other who, just like him, enjoys exploring with enthusiasm new scenarios. Aries always tries to show himself to others as a self sufficient person and might get really upset is someone points out his childish attitudes. They want to be considered as mature and responsible.
All Aries, the shy ones and the outgoing personalities, tend to be very cautious about their intimacy. It's very likely that they try to find support within themselves. They often perceive that people misunderstand and criticize them. Patience is not their virtue. Since their personalities are pretty strong, Aries have a good affinity with air signs that tend to be much calmer.





Taurus
 

 Taurus is well known by their big hearts. They're patient people who, no matter the inconvenient, persist in what they believe its right, and nobody can stop them from doing so. Their spiritual strength makes them very confident, and others see them as reliable people.
Their determination makes them excel at whatever they choose to do. They never procrastinate since responsibility is a key value for them. This is why a Taurus is a very productive worker who creates an appropriate work environment. Also, Taurus are always concerned about other's well being, thus, generosity is one of their characteristics.


Gemini

 


 This sign has got an amazing and complex personality, which tends to be double sided, as their symbol indicates. Their mood changes very quickly and also they have a versatile personality. They love novelty, surprises and everything that's unusual. 
They don't like quiescence, restrictions or taboos. They prefer being outside over than inside closed spaces. They have lots of energy and vitality. They love to face new challenges and everything that implies taking a new step in their lives. Nonetheless, there's the risk that everything ends up just like plans built in the air.




Cancer
   



Cancer, as any water sign, tends to have a little ambiguous personality. They might oscillate between being pretty shy or, on the other hand, being incredible outgoing and self confident.
Nonetheless, it's pretty common that all of them enjoy the warmth of a well- built home. They consider their house as their best refuge.They know how to differentiate the moments to express their versatile personality. They understand that there are times for being social as well as there moments to deep and think about intimacy and solitude. They are skillful, tenacious, imaginative and creative.



Leo


 Leo, as the lion shows, don't get scared in front of anything or anyone. They're natural enterpreneurs, who seek to obtain a destiny created by themselves, based on ther own effort and struggles. 
They always try to impose their rules and are determined about what they're passionate about. They think of themselves as being superior, but they always try to help other. This is why a leo is a generous and loyal friend. They love to talk their minds and make other laugh. Their lust for life makes other feel motivated and cheerful.




 Virgo



Virgo is very analytical and always has something to say about anything you ask them about.  Their charismatic personality usually puts them in the center of attention. 
Nice and attractive, Virgo is the person that organizes everything in the best possible way. He's always surrounded by many people; nonetheless, Virgo never forgets who his true friends are. Virgo knows his priorities and despite his exhausting agenda gets everything done in time. At world they tend to be very social but also very efficient, and tend to bond pretty well with his coworkers.



Libra



An inveterate idealist, Libra keeps his faith alive and doesn't live out of dreams, but of building new realities. He's a good mediator since he can solve most problems without a big effort. He'd rather use diplomatic methods before even thinking about using the force. 
He always has in mind a creative idea and doesn't doubt about making it a reality. He always shows great passion for expression, and does so in many different ways. Libra loves art and he's got talent for it. Communication is never a problem for a Libra, on the contrary, it's one of his largest strengths.





Scorpio



Intense sign that posses a unique emotional energy among all the zodiac signs. That turns them into susceptible people. They can achieve either great changes or mere disasters.
They have the talent to observe every situation and come always to the right conclusion. They also have great memory and don't need anyone to lead them. They're natural business people and also excel at investigation.




Sagittarius



Sagittarius is people who irradiate joy due to their deep desire to experience life to the fullest. They're also pretty lucky, so they're rarely in a bad mood.
They love to participate and being part of different groups, they're pretty adventurous as well. They're open-minded, and love freedom ands social life. Their way of life becomes an inspiration to others.
Finding constellations…



With this set of directions, you should be able to find all of these with great ease!!


 Instructions

1. Taurus (the Bull)- This constellation appears to be a "V". It is most easily found by looking at Orion's belt stars (three stars in a line). Trace a line through these stars and follow it to the right until you hit a bright red star. This star is called Aldebaran, and is the eye of the Bull. The "V" it is part of is Taurus.

2. Gemini (the Twins)- This constellation can also be found by using Orion. When looking at Orion, you will see the three belt stars surrounded by four stars marking Orion's feet and shoulders. The lower right star is the bright blue star Rigel. The top left star is the red giant Betelgeuse. Starting at Rigel, going through the middle belt star, onto Betelgeuse and continue in this line will bring you to two stars of equal brightness. These are Castor and Pollux, the stars that make up Gemini.

3. Cancer (the Crab)- This is the single hardest constellation to find in the night sky. It requires a completely dark sky. The constellation itself looks like an upside-down "Y". The best way to find Cancer is to find Taurus and Gemini, draw a line through them and continue on to the left until you come to a big empty spot in the sky (it won't take long). The big empty spot is Cancer!

4. Leo (the Lion)- Using the same method you just used to find Cancer, keep tracing that line until you hit a backward question mark followed by a triangle. This is the stately Leo. The bright star at the end of Leo's tail is Denebola, which means "the tail". If you cannot find Taurus and Gemini, use the Big Dipper to help you find Leo. Use the two pointer stars that help you find the Little Dipper, only this time trace them away from the North Star. These two stars will lead you to the triangle part of Leo.

5. Virgo (the Maiden)- This is another constellation that is easily found off the Big Dipper. Start with the Big Dipper. Trace the handle away from the "bowl", and follow the arc to the bright star Arcturus. From there, continue on to the blue star Spica. Spica appears to be the center of a "Y"-shaped constellation. This constellation is Virgo.

6. Libra (the Scales)- Another constellation best located using the "draw a line around the sky" method, Libra looks like a square standing on one corner. The fun part of this constellation are the stars to the left. Both have rather long Arabic names: Zubenelganumi and Zubeneshameli.


7. Scorpio (the Scorpion)- Again, draw an imaginary line through the constellations you have already located until you reach a constellation that looks like a fishing hook with a bright red star in the middle of it. The star is Antares, and the constellation is Scorpio. Scorpio has been an important constellation to the people living in the Pacific Ocean. It has been a point of reference for fishermen moving between islands so they could find their way home. Scorpio was also well-known to the Ancient Greeks, and is possible proof of precession (the idea that the night sky has changed over time). The Greeks told a story about the mighty hunter Orion, a favored companion of the goddess Artemis. She spent so much time with him that her brother Apollo became jealous. One day, when Artemis was off with her hunting maidens, Apollo sent a huge scorpion after Orion. A battle ensued, and as Orion was turning to escape the scorpion, it stung him and killed him. When Artemis learned of her friend's death, she was furious with her brother. To make amends with her, Apollo helped her hang Orion in the sky, but he also hung the Scorpion to remind her of the power of his anger. The two played chase around the sky. Today, they still do, but they are never in the sky together.


8. Sagittarius (the Archer)- Beside Scorpio is a cute little constellation that looks like a teapot. This is Sagittarius. A great way to help people see this constellation is to sing the Teapot Song while tracing Sagittarius. When you get to the part that says, "Tip me over and pour me out," trace the "steam" that appears to go through the "spout" of Sagittarius. This is the Sagittarius arm of the Milky Way, and when you look at it, you are looking toward the center of the galaxy.

9. Capricorn (the Goat)- Use that line-drawing method you have been mastering all year to get from Sagittarius to Capricorn. The best way to describe this constellation is to share its common nickname: the "Marilyn Monroe" smile. Capricorn literally looks like the outline of a big smile. Another way to find this constellation is to locate the triangle that the Milky Way goes through. This is the Summer Triangle, and it points right at Capricorn.

10. Aquarius (the Water Bearer)- This is another tricky one to find. Use your line-drawing technique to draw a line from Capricorn to an oval shape of pairs of stars. This is the flowing water of Aquarius.

11. Pisces (the Fish)- This one is tricky, but fun! Use the line-drawing technique to get to a big square (this is a really big square). You are looking for stars that go along two sides of the square, outside the square, that will meet at one corner of the square. At each end of these lines should be a round shape. This is Pisces. It is tricky to see exactly which stars belong to Pisces, and which belong to its fellow constellations Pegasus (the big square) and Andromeda (a "v" off one corner of Pegasus).

12. Aries (the Ram)- This constellation can be found by drawing lines from either Pisces or Taurus. It is the small triangle that is not beside Andromeda (there are two in that area).

How did the constellations get their names?

NameImageMythology
AquariusWater CarrierBabylonian Name.
In Greek mythology, Aquarius (also known as Ganymede in Roman myth) was a beautiful young boy whom Zeus brought to Olympus to be the cup bearer of the Gods. It is suggested that Zeus fell in love with Aquarius.
AriesRam or Golden Fleece.In Greek mythology, the ram carried Athamas's son Phrixux and daughter Helle to Colchis to escape Ino. When the ram reached Colchis, Phrixux sacrificed the ram and hung its fleece in the Grove or Ares. This fleece turned to gold and later was the quest of Jason and the Argonauts.
The constellation name was common in Greek, Babylonian and Egyptian cultures.
CancerCrabJuno sent a crab to defeat Hercules while fighting Hydra. The crab was crushed by Hercules.
CapricornSea GoatAlso known as Amalthea who provided for baby Zeus after Rhea saved him from Cronos.
The word "cornucopia" comes from the broken horn of Capricorn - or the "horn of plenty."
GeminiTwin BrothersThe two bright stars - Castor and Pollux - are also the brothers' names. They were the brothers of Helen of Troy.
They are also the protectors of ships and sailors.
LeoLionPrehistoric constellation associated with royalty. In Egyptian mythology, it represents the life giving floods since the Sun was in this constellation during the heavy rains.
In Greek mythology, Leo represents the Nemean Lion which was killed by Hercules.
LibraScalesThe only "non-living" object in the Zodiac.
Romans chopped claws from Scorpio during Autumn Equinox to make Libra.
In Greek mythology, Libra is the scaled held by Astraea that represents justice.
OphiuchusSerpent HolderWhile not an Astrological sign, Sun spends longer time here than in Scorpio.
In Greek mythology, Ophiuchus is a legendary physician who tried to become immortal to avoid death. Zeus killed him with a bolt of lightening, but honored him because of good works.
PiscesTwo FishVenus and her son Cupid escaped Typhon as two fish tied together.
In Greek mythology, they are Aphrodite and Eros.
SagittariusThe ArcherA Chiron, half-man half-horse, sent to kill the scorpion (Scorpio).
In Babylonian mythology, this represents the demon Pabilsaq.
ScorpioThe ScorpionSent by Gaia to kill Orion when he said he would kill all animals.
It is also said that Apollo sent the scorpion to kill Orion.
Orion and Scorpio are on opposite sides of the sky.
TaurusThe BullBabylonian constellation.
Jupiter turns into bull to carry off Europa - daughter of King of Crete.
It is also said that Zeus brought the ram to try and win the heart of Europa.
VirgoThe VirginGoddess of farms and harvest. Virgo could also represent Ishtar, Isis, Demeter, Cybele, and Athena.
Also thought to represent Astraea, the daughter of Zeus representing justice.
It is also suggested that Virgo represents Persephone, queen of the
underworld.

News

Source of zodiac glow identified

Related images
         

The dust between the planets, that scatters sunlight our way, is not from the asteroid belt (depicted here in green), but from periodically disrupting comets that spend much of their time near the orbit of Jupiter, according to calculations by Nesvorny and Jenniskens.
Southwest Research Institute
The eerie glow that straddles the night time zodiac in the eastern sky is no longer a mystery. First explained by Joshua Childrey in 1661 as sunlight scattered in our direction by dust particles in the solar system, the source of that dust was long debated. In a paper to appear in the April 20 issue of The Astrophysical Journal, David Nesvorny and Peter Jenniskens put the stake in asteroids. More than 85 percent of the dust, they conclude, originated from Jupiter Family comets, not asteroids. "This is the first fully dynamical model of the zodiacal cloud," says planetary scientist Nesvorny of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo. "We find that the dust of asteroids is not stirred up enough over its lifetime to make the zodiacal dust cloud as thick as observed. Only the dust of short-period comets is scattered enough by Jupiter to do so."
This result confirms what meteor astronomer Jenniskens of the SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif., had long suspected. An expert on meteor showers, he had noticed that most consist of dust moving in orbits similar to those of Jupiter Family comets, but without having active dust-oozing comets associated with them.
Instead, Jenniskens discovered a dormant comet in the Quadrantid meteor shower in 2003 and has since identified a number of other such parent bodies. While most are inactive in their present orbit around the Sun, all have in common that they broke apart violently at some point in time in the past few thousand years, creating dust streams that now have migrated into Earth's path.
Nesvorny and Jenniskens, with the help of Harold Levison and William Bottke of the Southwest Research Institute, David Vokrouhlicky of the Institute of Astronomy at Charles University in Prague, and Matthieu Gounelle of the Natural History Museum in Paris, demonstrated that these comet disruptions can account for the observed thickness of the dust layer in the zodiacal cloud.
In doing so, they solved another mystery. It was long known that snow in Antarctica is laced with micro-meteorites, some 80 to 90 percent of which have a peculiar primitive composition, rare among the larger meteorites that we know originated from asteroids. Instead, Nesvorny and Jenniskens suggest that most antarctic micro-meteorites are pieces of comets. According to their calculations, cometary grains dive into Earth's atmosphere at entry speeds low enough for them to survive, reach the ground, and be picked up later by a curious micro-meteorite hunter.

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2010/04/15/source.zodiac.glow.identified
Find constellations of the Zodiac on October evenings

09oct16_430


Some recommendations to more easily find the constellations

1. First of all,  as we know , the zodiacal constellations are the backdrop for the pathway of the sun around our sky each year, and of the moon for every month. Since the sun’s path lies within these constellations, you know you can look for them along the approximate path that the sun follows during the day — from east to west across the sky.
2. Another thing you can do is to locate the signpost Summer Triangle high in the south to overhead at nightfall. As seen from the northern hemisphere, the ecliptic swings way below the Summer Triangle. An imaginary line drawn from the bright star Vega through the star Altair points in the general direction of Sagittarius, and a line drawn from Deneb through Altair escorts you to Capriciornus.
As seen from the southern hemisphere, these same constellations of the Zodiac, Sagittarius and Capricornus, appear high in the sky instead of close to the horizon. As darkness falls, the Summer Triangle asterism appears “upside down” and low in the north to northwest sky.
3. The Great Square of Pegasus, autumn's easy-to-recognize star formation, can help you find Aquarius and Pisces
Learn also the Great Square of Pegasus asterism, found in the east to southeast sky on these October evenings. The Great Square can help guide you to the zodiacal constellations Aquarius and Pisces, as shown on the sky chart.
As the years go by, pay special attention to the planet Jupiter, the fourth brightest heavenly body to light up the sky. It is often called the year star because this planet stays in the same constellation of the Zodiac for approximately a year. At present, Jupiter resides in front of Aries. So you can use Jupiter to locate Aries until the giant planet finally disappears from the evening sky in late April or May 2012. At this time next year, Jupiter will be in front of the contellation Taurus.
(Hamal: Ancient equinox star)