Ophiuchus : Twitter Trending Topic - New 13th Zodiac Sign?!

Wondering why this certain Ophiuchus is now trending on Twitter?

ophiuchus


What's it about, you ask?


Who or what is Ophiuchus?

ophiuchus


Ophiuchus also known as Serpentarius is a constellation commonly depicted in artwork as a man grasping the snake that is the constellation Serpens.

OK. So why is it trending on Twitter?

It's because of the media hype brought about by a statement astronomy professor Parke Kunkle of Minneapolis Community and Technical College told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune about stars' procession over time.

Quoting Kunkle,

"Three thousand years ago the Sun was 'in' whatever it was in. Now it's about a whole constellation off from that."

With people incorrectly assuming that Astrology is based on constellations, Kunkle's quote went viral online and was picked up by FOX News and other media outlets. And all of a sudden, Ophiuchus became the "the new 13th Zodiac Sign," sending folks and tweeps into the the very pits of astrological identity crisis;

ophiuchus


It also didn't help that Love-Astrology's description of people under Ophiuchus and revised Zodiac time table likewise went viral on social networking sites;

The descriptions below are associated with the 13th sign - Ophiuchus.

  • Many people are envious of this subject as he progresses well throughout life.
  • A seeker of wisdom and knowledge
  • Many people are jealous of this person
  • Tends to go for the more flamboyant in dress sense, favouring bright colours.
  • Authority looks upon him well.
  • Would make a great architect or builder.
  • Number 12 is this persons lucky number.
  • This person will have a big family but leave home at an early age.
This is the Zodiac as some astrologers believe it should be:

ARIES = APRIL 19 - MAY 13
TAURUS = MAY 14 - JUNE 19
GEMINI = JUNE 20 - JULY 20
CANCER = JULY 21 - AUG 9
LEO = AUGUST 10 - SEPTEMBER 15
VIRGO = SEPTEMBER 16 - OCTOBER 30
LIBRA = OCTOBER 31 - NOVEMBER 22
SCORPIO = NOVEMBER 23 - NOVEMBER 29
OPHIUCHUS = NOVEMBER 30 - DECEMBER 17
SAGITTARIUS = DECEMBER 18 - JANUARY 18
CAPRICORN = JANUARY 19 - FEBRUARY 15
AQUARIUS = FEBRUARY 16 - MARCH 11
PISCES = MARCH 12 - APRIL 18

I’m not sure myself about the qualities of that of Ophiucus, but perhaps if you mix Scorpio with Sagittarius you may come up with something along the right lines.

But is this the truth? Is Ophiuchus really a Zodiac sign?

Apparently (and thankfully), not. So make sure you tell your friends.

Quoting DailyHoroscope;

Astrology is based on the four seasons, not on constellations -- and the seasons don’t change. [...] There are four seasons, each with a beginning, middle and end, which adds up to 12 zodiac signs. There is no 13th astrological sign. Period.

Whew! I've been a Capricorn for 27 years now. I don't think I'll be cool with changing my sign just like that.

1 comment:

  1. But..I thought astrology was based on the celestial bodies, not on the four seasons. Quoting the ever present wiki: Astrology is a group of systems, traditions, and beliefs which hold that the relative positions of celestial bodies and related details can provide information about personality, human affairs and other "earthly" matters.

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