Will new sign be added to zodiac?

By Adrianna Ruffo l Published Nov. 10, 2016

According to a recent blog post written by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the long-forgotten 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus, has resurfaced. Ophiuchus, also known as the “serpent bearer” is between Sagittarius and Scorpius on the zodiac calendar.

The mystery of the 13th sign has been studied for thousands of years. The ancient Babylonians invented the 12 signs of the zodiac to correlate with the amount of months in a year. They picked 12 constellations to complete the zodiac.They believed that when the Earth orbits the Sun, the Sun would pass through each part of the zodiac. Although there was 13 constellations, the Babylonians decided to exclude Ophiuchus from the rest of the zodiac.

While the idea that there may be a 13th sign added to the zodiac may shock some, several astrologists have debunked the sign’s legitimacy.

“There are a lot of constellations – 88 if you want to get right down to it – so I’m not sure why everyone’s up in arms about this one,” said Susan Miller, a famous astrologist in an interview with Elle Magazine. “The ancients discussed whether or not to include a 13th sign – they debated, they did empirical studies, and in the end they felt it was not signifi cant. Remember, they invented astrology, and we have to go with what they gave us.

When the news of the alleged 13th sign broke, many were skeptical of how the new sign would have an impact on their daily lives. While many believe in the legitimacy of astrology, many are unsure.

“I do believe in [astrology] but society portrays it as something you have to believe,” said Marcella Fazzolari, a junior majoring in communication studies, who identifi es as a Cancer. “Sometimes I don’t, I think a lot of the time it’s just a coincidence.”

“I’m not sure [about astrology],” said Courtney Glynn, a sophomore majoring in communication studies who identifies as an Aquarius. “Didn’t people just use the stars in the sky and the planets to mark the calendar?”

While the legitimacy of astrology is often debated, many also misinterpret the diff erence between the astrology and astronomy.

“Astrology can be used to predict the future while astronomy is a science that tries to explain the past and future of the universe,” said Professor Oleh George Kolodiy, an associate professor who teaches science and education at Kean University.

“Astrology is like trying to predict your fortune based on when you born, under what sign you were born,” said Kolodiy who is an Aquarius. “However, the diff erence between astronomy and astrology is big, they have nothing to do with each other. Th e only thing that is the same is the word “astro” in the beginning, otherwise there is absolutely nothing they have in common.”

According to Ophira and Tali Edut, famous astrologers known as the AstroTwins, astronomy and astrology are not the same. Even with the introduction of Ophiuchus, the zodiac dates do not change as the system of how one identifi es with a particular sign is based upon a Western“artificial” system. The zodiac calendar is not aff ected by Ophiuchus due to Earth’s rotation around the Sun remaining constant.

“Ophiuchus has nothing to do with astrology, it’s not an astrology issue,” said Rick Levine, another famous astrologist in an interview with DailyHoroscope.com. “It has to do with the stars – it’s not a sign, it’s a constellation.”

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