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Tag Archives: Astrology
Blog 1 – Changes in Zodiac Signs
Astrology is a practice that has been around since the 3rd millennium BCE. Most people are familiar with their sun sign, which corresponds to one of the 12 constellations along the ecliptic, or path of the sun throughout the year from our point of view. Your sun sign is the constellation that the sun appeared […] Continue reading
The Western Zodiac’s Origins
One of the most interesting aspects of Astronomy for me specifically is the element of spirituality or philosophy it tends to invoke. To witness the majesty and scale of universe evokes such wonder that, if you’ll allow some hyperbole, can at times be akin to a religious experience. I comment this not to say thatContinue reading “The Western Zodiac’s Origins” Continue reading
Astrolonomy?
A little over two weeks ago, we entered arguably one the thirteen coolest months of the zodiac: Aquarius. (Yes, we still love you Ophiuchus). But what does that really even mean? What is Aquarius? Well, as I am sure you can tell from the constellation, Aquarius is clearly a water-bearer. But it is also muchContinue reading “Astrolonomy?” Continue reading
Posted in Class, Historical, Observables, Stars
Tagged astro2110, Astrology, blog1
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“He’s Such an Ophiuchus”: The Forgotten 13th Zodiac Sign
In 2016, NASA shared this image of the zodiac constellations. Within this picture, we see the twelve signs commonly talked about in astrology, but we also see the presence of a less-discussed zodiac member: Ophiuchus. According to CNN, Ophiuchus is one of the 13 members of the Babylonian zodiac. However, 13 zodiac signs did notContinue reading ““He’s Such an Ophiuchus”: The Forgotten 13th Zodiac Sign” Continue reading
Posted in Historical, Stars
Tagged astro2110, Astrology, blog1
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The Astronomy behind Astrology
While astrology is widely disproven as a form of science in our modern age, it has its origins in the beginnings of computational astronomy. As explained by David Lindberg in his book The Beginnings of Western Science, “By the end of the fifth century B.C., Babylonian celestial divination had expanded to embrace horoscopic astrology, whichContinue reading “The Astronomy behind Astrology” Continue reading
Posted in Class, Historical, Stars
Tagged astro2110, Astrology, blog1, history, precession, Solar System: Sun, zodiacs
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Retrograde motion probably isn’t ruining your life
It seems that anytime Mercury enters its period of retrograde motion, the Internet starts freaking out because according to astrologers, Mercury retrograde is bad for communication. Although this is a nice scapegoat for any misfortune one might encounter, there is no scientific evidence that this phenomenon has an effect on your day-to-day life. So what […] Continue reading
Posted in Observables
Tagged astro2110, Astrology, blog2
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Earth’s Precession: Why Your Zodiac Sign is Wrong
When it comes to taking meaningless BuzzFeed quizzes or looking at Tumblr text posts about my zodiac sign, I am guilty as charged. There’s something satisfying about taking a quiz that tells you which limited edition Oreo flavor you are by your zodiac sign! (I’m apparently Gingerbread. Who knew?) I even know some people who … Continue reading Earth’s Precession: Why Your Zodiac Sign is Wrong → Continue reading
Planet X: The Real 9th Planet?
With Pluto’s demotion to a “dwarf planet,” the solar system was left with 8 planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. It now seems that the number 8 may not survive for long, as researchers are now searching for a 9th planet that they think exists in the far-away outer solar system. […] Continue reading
Pluto: the Eccentric “Planet”
Most of us have heard of Pluto’s downgrade from the category of planet to “dwarf planet,” but it is less well-known why it was demoted. One of the main reasons had nothing to do with size and everything to do with Pluto’s strange orbit. Instead of orbiting with the sun roughly at the center of […] Continue reading
Retrograde Motion: Illusions and Jinxes
Understanding the heavens has proven confusing for countless generations of humans in part because of the illusions caused by our perspective from earth. For millennia, the majority opinion was a geocentric universe, where the sun, moon, planets, and stars revolved around the earth, since they all seemed to do so from the earth’s perspective. All […] Continue reading