Located in: Features
Posted on: January 30th, 2011 No Comments

Hey, what’s your sign?

An Astrology.com horoscope reads, “You are feeling somewhat ambivalent about a new opportunity — but don’t dismiss it out of hand! You need to make sure that you consider all your options and deal with your own discomfort before you do anything else.” However if the zodiac adds Ophuchicus to the existing 12 signs then according to recent news people could have an entirely new sign and horoscope. It also raises the question does it affect everyone or just people born in 2009 and on?

To make sure everyone is on the same page, astronomy is “the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole” as defined by WordNet.com. Merrian-Webster defines astrology as “the divination of the supposed influences of the stars and planets on human affairs and terrestrial events by their positions and aspects.”

Retired Mesa State astronomy, space research, and history of science Professor Alex Gurshtein provided some clarity about the rumors. Gurshtein has spent many years on the research and development of his theory about the relationship of the constellations and zodiac.

It was rumored that Ophuchicus was a “new” discovery. Gurshtein explained Ophuchicus has been around for “many millennia.”

Gurshtein expressed that astrology is “not science and it is (for) fun because everyone wants to know their future.”

Abcnews.com reports, “In an August 2009 Pew poll, 25 percent of Americans said they believed in astrology; 71 percent said they did not.”

Most people are familiar with the current 12 signs Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius and Capricorn. For many the information about Ophuchius, the snake holder/serpent bearer and possibly the 13th sign of the zodiac, has raised many questions on how it will affect their daily horoscope.

Ophuchius would be added due to the “The tilt of the Earth’s axis that has gradually shifted since the ancient times when the Babylonians determined the dates of the Zodiac” according to abcnews.com.

Actually there are two sets of astrological signs tropic and sidereal, Tropic is more widely used and does not include the new sign but the sidereal is based of the constalations and includes the new sign, and the new sign is actually not new at all astronomers have known about it for centuries.

Megan Friedman of time.com states, “Ancient Babylonians had 13 constellations, but wanted only 12, so threw out Ophuchicus, the snake holder.”

As for the main question of does everyone’s astrologic sign change? The answer is no. Not even the rumor of it affecting only people born during and after a certain year is true. The answer is still no.

The startribune.com reported, “This doesn’t change your chart at all,” stated the spokesperson for the American Federation of Astrologers, Shelley Ackerman.

gschille@mesastate.edu

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