O zodiac, according to the astronomy - natural science that studies the stars and celestial bodies - it is a zone of the celestial sphere, which extends at 8.5º from one to the other part of the ecliptic, and in which the Sun, Moon and all other large planets and planetoids move.
already the astrology - pseudoscience that claims to have the influence of celestial bodies on the personality and lives of people on Earth - divides the same zone of the cosmic sphere into twelve parts, each 30º long, known as "signs of the zodiac".
The signs are named after the twelve constellations that have been in the line of the zodiac for over 2,000 years: Aries, Taurus, Gemero, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Fish.
The zodiac sign of a person is defined from the observation of the Sun (Sun sign), verifying in which constellation it is located at the moment of the individual's birth, for example.
According to astrology, the signs of the zodiac have the power to define a person's personality or influence the course of a person's life.
chinese zodiac
At chinese astrology, the twelve animals that form the signs of the zodiac represent a reflection of the Universe itself.
The animals of the Chinese sign are the Rat (Shu), Ox (Niú), Tiger (Hú), Rabbit (Tú), Dragon (Long), Snake (Shé), Horse (Ma), Sheep (Yáng), Monkey (Hóu), Rooster (Ji), dog (Gou)and Pig (Zhu).
Contrary to the concept that Western astrology offers to explain the definition of the signs of the zodiac, the origin of the animals in the Chinese horoscope is not known for sure.
Another big difference is in the division of the zodiac houses. Western signs are divided by months of the year, while Chinese signs are defined by year. Each year represents a specific animal in the Chinese horoscope.
See also:
- Date of birth
- Ascendant