Astrology can be described as a collection of beliefs and traditions that focus on how the movement of the stars and planets relate to human events on Earth.Īstrologists study the movement of the stars and planets and predict how those movements might affect human behavior. Whereas astronomy is the scientific study of celestial objects, space and the physical universe, astrology is more of an art. Today, the zodiac is associated mainly with astrology rather than astronomy. In fact, the word zodiac comes from the Greek word zoidiakos, which means “little animal sign.' This makes sense since several of the signs of the zodiac are based upon animals. The zodiac spread to other cultures, including the ancient Greeks and Romans. We call these 12 divisions the 12 signs of the zodiac. They then divided the celestial sphere into 12 divisions of longitude.

These early astronomers looked to map the stars in the sky to create an agricultural calendar that would determine when crops should be planted and harvested based upon the natural rising and setting of particular stars and/or constellations.īased upon the Sun's path across the sky over the course of the year - called the ecliptic - early astronomers developed an early celestial coordinate system that based latitude upon the ecliptic and longitude on the position of the Sun at the vernal equinox. The zodiac got its start thousands of years ago with Babylonian astronomers.

Today's Wonder of the Day takes a closer look at the zodiac! Have you ever heard people refer to themselves as Capricorns or Scorpios? If you've ever WONDERed what in the world they were talking about, read on.

Celestial theme in word 2016