Zodiac Gets a 13th Sign: Ophiuchus

Say astronomers ... but some astrologers say 'who cares?'
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 14, 2011 2:45 AM CST
Astronomers Add New Zodiac Sign
Legends about Ophiuchus, the serpent tamer, associate him with healing and wisdom.   (WikiMedia Commons)

Astronomers say astrologers have got it all wrong: The Zodiac as we know it has been off for thousands of years because of wobbles in the Earth's axis. Star sign dates as people know them are incorrect, according to the Minnesota Planetarium Society, and people born between Nov. 29 and Dec. 17 actually belong to a 13th sign: Ophiuchus, the snake-handler.

The "new" sign—which was originally discarded by the Babylonians, who wanted just 12 signs per year—is associated with healing, enlightenment, medicine, and higher education, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. But some astrologers say people don't need to worry about their star sign having shifted: Most Western astrologers adhere to the tropical zodiac, a system fixed to seasons, rather than the constellation-based system the Babylonians came up with, reports CNN.
(More zodiac stories.)

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