New Zodiac Sign "Ophiuchus"
So apparently it's big news now that we've RE-discovered that our typical 12 horoscopes has a new zodiac sign left out some 2500 years ago.
According to here.
The new zodiac that's missing is the 10th sign called Ophiuchus - a snake bearer, or "serpent-bearer" to be exact.
I posted this on my FB and received different opinion-ed comments like: it's not real, there's not going to be a new zodiac sign, or astronomy and astrology is different; whereas the adapted ones would find it amusing they're no longer a virgo, or pisces, or libra, etc.
However, I was chatting on MSN with a friend from US who got his PHD in Astrophysics in England (of course, who better to discuss this) and it was just funny how the conversation went.
Especially you see from a point of view one is an expert, the other one's a blogger.
Let's call him GH.
GH: that zodiac thing is bizarre
GH: was on the rachel maddow show last night
GH: hipparchus discovered the precession of the equinoxes in about 150BC
GH: why is it suddenly on tv?
Me: must be some journalists that decided to bring it up so on and so forth
Me: we need some exciting news once in a while
GH: maybe
GH: well, wait another 23500 years and it'll be back to where it started
Me: i supposed. if earth can survive that long
GH: the earth will still be here, whether we are or not
Me: haha.. oh yea... maybe it will literally become just earth.
Me: no water. just dry land. all the way
Me: we'll call it.. the fire age (after ice age)
GH: in a billion years or so, yes, as the sun's temperature increases
GH: not in 20000 years
GH: that's the blink of an eye
Me: or when the next supernova comes.
Me: no wait. then we'll become dust. LOL
Me: or split into two earths. we'll become moons!
Me: or a tiny earth.
GH: don't think there are any stars ready to go supernova near enough to cause a problem
GH: maybe if we're staring down the barrel of a supernova jet
GH: unlikely though
Me: tiny earth is cute.
GH: the pale blue dot
Me: we can walk around in circles.
Me: literally.
Me: bahaha....
Hey, what do you expect? I studied Software Engineering. "p
On a more serious note, if you fancy astronomy... Here's what my friend GH has to say.
GH: hipparchus is the name of an ancient greek astronomer
lived roughly 190-120BC
he discovered the precession of the equinoxes
which is what causes this thing of the signs changing dates
the dates are meant to be when the sun crosses through certain constellations
but the traditional dates used change over a period of about 26000 years because of precession
GH: ophiuchus has always been on the ecliptic
just not considered a sign of the zodiac
basically, the equator is just split into 12 sections
and each was named after a nearby constellation
the ones they chose were arbitrary, and ophiuchus wasn't one of them
why they'd suddenly decide it should be one now i've no idea
Me: I see.......
5 kissed Nicole
@ZodiacFacts tweeted that "New Zodiac chart only applies to those born after 2009. If u were not born after 2009 u hv nothing to worry abt."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailyhoroscope.com/horoscope-headlines/scientists-say-astrology-horoscope-zodiac-signs-wrong
Hehe, I was just thinking about what Jing Xuan said! Because if the stars' alignment has just changed, only those born after the change would have different signs.
ReplyDeleteBut then the problem is, when exactly does it start? And most probably the alignments don't just change abruptly but gradually...so that means everyone's zodiac sign since several years back could be a bit off...we should just look up at the sky every day to determine which zodiac sign it is (I think I'm complicating things lol)
english please. @@
ReplyDeleteActually the picture says 13th sign in URL. hahahaha
ReplyDeleteTHE MERE IDEA THAT THIS ASTROPHYSICIST CLAIMS THAT HIPPARCHUS DISCOVERED THE PRECESSION... IS PROOF THAT HIS DIPLOMA DOES NOT QUALIFY HIM TO SPEAK AUTHORITATIVELY REGARDING THE MATTER.
ReplyDeleteOPHIUCHUS a.k.a. SERPENTARIUS is one of thirteen CONSTELLATIONS that cross the ecliptic. It has therefore been called the '13th sign of the zodiac'.
However, this confuses *SIGN* with *CONSTELLATION*.
The SIGNS of the zodiac are a twelve-fold division of the ecliptic, so that each sign spans 30° of celestial longitude, approximately the distance the Sun travels in a month, and (in the Western tradition) are aligned with the seasons so that the March equinox falls on the boundary between Aries and Pisces.
CONSTELLATIONS... on the other hand... are unequal in size and are based on the positions of the stars.
WHY CANT PEOPLE WRAP THEIR MINDS AROUND THE DIFFERENCE...?
ONE MUST PRACTICE ASTROLOGY TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.