Madison Ford
Staff Writer
Video by
Sierra Wollmar
One of the greatest surviving determinants of human character is not accurate. Astrological research has discovered that the 12-sign zodiac calendar that humans have been following for centuries is actually about a month off, and a 13th zodiac has come to light that had previously gone undetected.
Parke Kunkle, a professor of astronomy at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, proposed to the world that what was believed to be the timeframes of the zodiac signs are actually inaccurate. Due to earth’s gradual change in tilt, the position of the sun in reference to the constellations, a determining factor in the zodiac calendar, has caused the dates of each zodiac to change as well as reveal a new zodiac sign, Ophiuchus. Since this change in the earth’s tilt, the new theory proposes that the 12-sign approach to astrology has been inaccurate for many years.
“Now there are some changes that will develop,” Coppell High School astronomy teacher Tom Killen said. “For instance, if you were born tomorrow, it depends on what time you were born whether, you are an Aquarius or a [Capricorn]. It changes very dramatically in those instances.”
This astrological revelation has led to many people’s sign shifting.
“I was kind of upset that I am not a Taurus anymore,” junior Megan McClaskey said. “I just feel like they can’t change this in the middle of our life.”
Zodiac signs are based in the study of astrology, dating back thousands of years. Though many students feel such a change is uncalled for, there is scientific rationale behind the shift.
“The concept of the zodiac was originated by the Babylonians before 2000 BC as a method of visualizing the passage of time,” Killen said via e-mail. “The zodiac worked as a symbolic calendar. It was divided into twelve parts as suggested by the appearance of 12 moons in a year. The signs are geometric divisions of the celestial sphere, each corresponding to one twelfth of a year.”
Star signs are determined by geometric sections, each 30° wide, which correspond with different times of the year. However, star signs may not always fall on the same time as the constellations, a more astronomical focus, of their same name. While the study of astonomy focuses on the stars, moons, planets, galaxies, dark matter and other aspects of space that can be quantitatively measured and scientifically studied, astrology has an emphasis on the star signs and their implications to human life.
“Astrology has been disproved many times, because the results of these ‘mapping of star-charts’ are based on superstitious, antiquated, inaccurate astrological observations of ‘so-called’ constellations,” Killen said. “The forecasts for astrological predictions are usually vague or nonsensical phrases, avoiding specific details so that “believers” can read whatever they want into them.”
While the studies of astronomy and astrology posses two different focus’ the zodiac signs hold a place of significance within each.
“It’s been a real part, and it has been a part of astronomy whether people like it or not, for a few hundred centuries,” Killen said. “It’s how really astronomy got started because it was those constellations that made up those 12 signs that put the astronomers on track to start checking stars, what do they do, our solar system, how it acts as it revolves around the sun and so on, all of that was really sort of a indirect result of astrology.”
Much controversy has arisen as to whether these new signs applicable to older generations. However, these changes are not recent, and therefore apply to everyone not just those born in 2011.
“We had originally 12 [zodiac signs] and the original signs that had been in existence before Christ,” Killen said. “So they’ve been here for a long long time. But you know, we find out that because of the earth’s rotation and basically the way it wobbles, that there has been somewhat of a timeframe added on. So in other words, the 12 month zodiac is really a 13 month zodiac with the addition of a sign called Ophiuchus.”
While the revelation has garnered surprise form most, the degree in which this effects their lives is considered trivial to many CHS stidents.
“It’s not that important,” junior Holly Conradt said. “Whenever I pick a magazine I just read [the horoscope] and laugh at it, but I don’t take it seriously.”
The Horoscope aspect of the star signs is a popular use of Zodiac in today’s society. Another aspect of zodiac readings are that of the character traits of each sign. Whether or not students find these descriptions accurate varies.
“Well they always seem to be so vague that I think they describe anyone, but yes,” junior Alyssa Baker said. “Like ‘fun-loving’! Who’s not?”
The signs themselves receive more regard than character descriptions though for some CHS students.
“It doesn’t really matter when you are born, it doesn’t really define your personality type,” Conradt said.
The new zodiac:
Capricorn: Jan. 20 – Feb. 16
Aquarius: Feb. 16 – March 11
Pisces: March 11- April 18
Aries: April 18- May 13
Taurus: May 13- June 21
Gemini: June 21- July 20
Cancer: July 20- Aug. 10
Leo: Aug. 10- Sept. 16
Virgo: Sept. 16- Oct. 30
Libra: Oct. 30- Nov. 23
Scorpio: Nov. 23- Nov. 29
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29- Dec. 17
Sagittarius: Dec. 17- Jan. 20
