Which horoscope should i follow

Unlike the zodiac signs in astrology, the astronomical constellations vary widely in size. If we think of the sky as a great sphere, the areas that different constellations cover can be drawn fairly accurately. There are a number of days of the Earth's orbit when the Sun is between our planet and any one of the zodiacal constellations.

Since each constellation is of different size and since the ecliptic passes through larger or smaller portions of each constellation, and the speed of the Earth around the Sun varies along its orbit, the Sun is between the Earth and each zodiacal constellation for varying periods. For example, more days 44 days are spent with the Sun between the Earth and the largest constellation, Virgo, than are spent with the Sun between the Earth and the smallest constellation, Scorpius 7 days.

This was essentially a mapping exercise to make the work of astronomers more efficient. At present our ecliptic passes through the boundaries of 13 constellations, the usual 12 and a new one known as Ophiuchus or Serpentarius. Ophiuchus is depicted as a man supporting a serpent, the interposition of his body divides the snake into two parts, Serpens Caput and Serpens Cauda. Ophiuchus, is located in a position near the center of the Milky Way galaxy amid clouds of molecular hydrogen and dust.

In addition, although not part of the original constellation stars, the so-called Barnard's Star is located within Ophiuchus; this object has the largest known proper motion relative to the Sun. Just as a remark, within a few hundred years the ecliptic will no longer pass through Scorpius but will also include the constellation of Orion.

Most astrologers use a different system to determine the size of our zodiacal constellations. This point occurred years ago in the constellation of Aries, but nowadays this occurs in the constellation of Piscis, making this constellation the start-point of the current zodiac solar system. The following table provides the dates at which the Sun is located within the boundaries of a specific zodiac constellation as defined in by the International Astronomical Union, i.

The dates can vary by as much as 2 days from year to year, depending on the cycle of leap years. The solar zodiac column indicates the actual dates when the Sun is located within the boundaries of the named constellation. If you are on the boundary between any two signs and you want to know your real sign together with your ascendent and descendent signs, defined below , use the free software called Stellarium indicating the date, time and location of birth and it will give you a nice sky chart of your birthday through a nice interface.

The ascendent and descendent signs. The ascendent sign constellation correspond to the position on the sky in which the ecliptic intercepts the horizon on the east at the local time and place of birth. At this point, there is a zodiac sign on the sky which is just rising from the horizon.

Due to the Earth's rotation, approximately every 4 minutes any object on the zodiac belt would elevate 1 degree from the horizon; hence the ascendent sign changes during the course of the day. On the other hand, on the west horizon, the constellation which is setting below the horizon at the time of birth constitutes the descendant sign. Therefore, in order to find the ascendant and descendant signs, one needs to know the precise local time and location geographical latitude, longitude and even altitude of birth.

Just as a remark, the ascendent and descendent signs have no astronomical meaning or importance whatsoever. My favourite quotes Astro Pics Contact. Do you know that what you consider to be your zodiac sign, might not be correct? Do you know that since the invention of the zodiac system more than years ago, the sky has actually changed and the traditional zodiac signs do not correspond to the actual ones?

Astrological tropical zodiac. Astronomical solar zodiac. In this case, you might go along thinking, "jackpot, baby!

This fantastic news! You haven't felt more plagued by self-doubt since your 6th grade talent show. So WTF happened there? None of this means you should throw away your sun sign love and phone cases, T-shirts, and list of cosmically sanctioned excuses based around that archetype. Oh hi! Enter Email Address. Your official excuse to add "OOD" ahem, out of doors to your cal. Sound intriguing? Below, Lanyadoo and other astrology experts break down what your rising sign means and why it matters.

Astrologers consider your sun sign to be your true self, the most genuine expression of who you are. Think of your rising sign as your personality, or the representative that you send out to engage with other people. Rising signs are also referred to as your ascending sign.

Her ascending sign is Libra and that aligns with how she self-presents in public: Libras are charismatic, gracious, value their personal aesthetic and tend to be soft-spoken. All checks out for Bey, right? To figure out your rising sign and your moon sign and other interesting details of your horoscope , first you have to map out your natal chart: basically a map of where the moon and planets were at the time of your birth. You could consult an astrologer to get a reading, but you can also use sites like Astro.

All you need to know is your date of birth and the place of time of your birth. Yep, that means you might have to call your parents to get the exact time you were born. Your rising sign is all about self-presentation. Some astrologers say that rising signs can even affect your appearance!