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Parke Kunkle, who teaches astronomy at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, talks with a reporter about changing astrological signs in his office in Minneapolis, Minn., Friday, Jan. 14, 2011. (AP / Craig Lassig) What's your sign? It seems that many of us may not be the Leos or Geminis we thought we were, thanks to a wobble in the earth's axis.   (AP / Uncommon Goods) Zodiac signs

Zodiac signs are off by a month, expert says

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The 30 per cent of North Americans who believe in horoscopes were thrown for a loop. This comes after an American astronomer suggested changes in the Earth's axis have shifted zodiac signs by about a month. But could this be true?

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Parke Kunkle, who teaches astronomy at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, talks with a reporter about changing astrological signs in his office in Minneapolis, Minn., Friday, Jan. 14, 2011. (AP / Craig Lassig) What's your sign? It seems that many of us may not be the Leos or Geminis we thought we were, thanks to a wobble in the earth's axis.   (AP / Uncommon Goods) Zodiac signs

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Parke Kunkle, who teaches astronomy at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, talks with a reporter about changing astrological signs in his office in Minneapolis, Minn., Friday, Jan. 14, 2011. (AP / Craig Lassig)

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Date: Fri. Jan. 14 2011 7:18 PM ET

Hey there, what's your sign? Are you sure about that?

It seems that many of us may not be the Leos or Geminis we thought we were, thanks to a wobble in the earth's axis. According to a report in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, all of the zodiac signs are off by about a month.

Your astrological sign can be determined by the position of the sun relative to certain constellations on the day you were born. But the astrological positions were calculated some 2,000 years ago.

The Star-Tribune spoke to Parke Kunkle, an astronomy professor at Minnesota Community and Technical College, and aboard member at the Minnesota Planetarium Society, who says that in the centuries since those calculations were made, the moon's gravitational pull has made the Earth "wobble" around its axis.

It's a well-known phenomenon called "precession." This "wobble" causes a change of one degree every 70 years in our view of the stars. The change is so small it is hardly noticeable, but after 2,000 years, it's added up.

While it's all a little complicated, the bottom line is there's been about a one-month bump in the alignment of the stars. And that's made a mess of astrology.

"When [astrologers] say that the sun is in Pisces, it's really not in Pisces," the Minnesota Planetarium Society Parke Kunkle told the newspaper.

According to Kunkle, there really should be a 13th sign, Ophiuchus. It seems the Babylonians who invented the zodiac skipped Ophiuchus because they wanted only 12 signs. Now that the Earth has rotated, here is apparently where the real signs of the zodiac should fall:

  • 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. 22
  • Scorpio: Nov. 23-29
  • Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17
  • Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20

If you're a former Scorpio or Sagittarius who now finds yourself under Ophiuchus, here's what you need to know. The sign is based on the constellation of the same name said to represent the healer Asclepius, son of Apollo, holding two snakes.

Ophiuchus is thought to attract good luck and holds lofty ideals, while seeking peace and harmony. Those born under the Ophiuchus sign are said to be curious, passionate, with a thirst for knowledge and sometimes, an explosive temper.

The Star-Tribune story of the zodiac shake-up has spread around the Internet quickly, sending panic through the hearts of true astrology believers who have found themselves in an astrological identity crisis.

But some are insisting that if you're worried that you're no longer the fun-loving Libra you thought you were, and are really a perfectionist Virgo, be assured that nothing has changed.

That's because there are actually two zodiacs.

The form of astrology that calculates zodiac signs based on constellations -- called the sidereal zodiac -- is followed more in the East, not here in the West. Western astrology -- and, most likely, the horoscope writers in your local newspaper -- adhere to the tropical zodiac, which is fixed to seasons and the equinoxes.

According to the tropical zodiac, nothing has changed, the Earth's axis notwithstanding.

So keep being that great listener, Libra, and don't worry that you've morphed into a Virgo.

Comments are now closed for this story

adrienne gallotta
said
0 0

I have studied astrology for 13 years. There are 12 horoscope signs as there are 12 apostles, 12 months of the year, 12 hours in a day. Any true astrologer can prove this is a crock. U r the sign u have been. there is no identity crisis. go see an astrologer if this opinion has u questioning ur sun sign.


shelley
said
0 0

My friend has been following my horoscope for years, she's into that sort of stuff. She's always saying go buy that lottery ticket, today's your lucky day. I then go out and get the ticket and guess what, I don't win. I'll give this new horoscope thing a bit of a try to humour her, but, she needs to know that my sign should really be: RETIRING SOON, GONE FISHING! I always felt that life is what you make of it, not what some person in the newspaper says it should be.


OC Runner
said
0 0

13th Zodiac sign has arrived. The end of the world is upon us.


SkullFx
said
0 0

Coincidence? Mayan Calendar ends 2012. A new age begins...To me, this is just another sign of the end of the old and a sign of a new begining. Its not the end of the world folks.


Angad
said
0 0

That makes me a Sagittarius and not a Capricorn! Na, not falling for this crap. I was born a Capricorn and will die a Capricorn.


matteo72
said
0 0

I'm blaming Global Warming and the Liberals....


bc grrl
said
0 0

i'm a cancer and if you don't like it go...be a libra! i don't like that some twit is messing with my mojo. although the gemini thing might explain my split personality!


Joe Canadian
said
0 0

Why any of you believe in any of this is beyond comprehension.


Dumb, Dumber, Dumbest
said
0 0

Just goes to prove how stupid people are who think these things have any truth or validity to it - THEY DON'T.


Not recommended.
said
0 0

These horoscopes are nothing less than dabbling into the occult and those who do open themselves up in the same way as playing with Ouiji boards which also is dabbling with what is termed familiar spirits. God expressly forbids it (book of Deuteronomy) though many people are ignorant of these facts.


Violet Light
said
0 0

Ophiuchus: Why would we assume that all the signs have to schooch over to make room for this one. It may be seen to have the energy of a container for the zodiac. How did the leaving out of Ophiuchus shape our views or energies over time. What kind of geometry or dimensional shift can we create with a balanced picture now. I mean we can look left or right, or better yet look north, south, east and west. We can also look in between; northeast and southwest. Where does the idea of 13 fit into the picture, the only other direction here would be the axis. The "science" of astrology is a study of the language and myth as it unfolds referentially. Take the case of scorpio first being understood as a second sign ruled by mars; then the discovery and added mythology of pluto reshapes our understanding. The "Law of Time" referencing the mayan calendar, has 13 moons of 28 days and one day out of time, this being a more accurate and natural look at the yearly cycle than the current calendar and time manipulations. Choosing how we look at things with discernment rather than fear or resistance to me is key to understanding the purpose for any of it. And seeding the language with ill formed ideas that seem aimed at undermining the science seems distracting.


Christopher
said
0 0

Astrology is a complete sham, shameful that people follow giving these crackpots a job in every paper in town.


rmsbl4
said
0 0

This story is so off it isn't funny.Just take the first 2 signs for example Capricorn Jan 20-Feb 16 and Aquarius Feb 16-Mar11.If you were born on Feb 16 then you are both a Capricorn & an Aquarius. This goes on for all the start & end dates.

Poops McWillie
said
0 0

Actually my sign is "Slippery when wet."


Retired in Burlington
said
0 0

Aquarius - Capricorn, Do I havea split personality?


zac
said
0 0

mama, toruses are most notably stubborn... which you've just proved in one sentence.


Vel
said
0 0

They can stick the thirteenth Zodiac where the sun don't shine.


Argh
said
0 0

Relax, you wlll always be a crazy Gemini. The signs were named after constellations, it really doesn't matter where the constellations are or where they are going. The signs could just as well have been named Charlie, John and Irving. They only apply to our insignificant solar system. And don't bother reading your horoscope in the paper, nobody can predict the future, because the only person you can control is yourself.


Leo
said
0 0

This damages the planet!! And all other planets. We can suit for some kind of zodialogical eco-enviro terrorism, right? I want to see Shirley McLean, Al Gore and Oprah in court over this.


Dave
said
0 0

Liz: Wrong story....LOL


nelson
said
0 0

I always knew i was an capricorn stuck in a aquarian's body!


renaldo
said
0 0

As long as my sign ends the year and start the year. I will be good.


Virgo girl
said
0 0

I am a proud Virgo! We are practical, and a host of other great qualities that this articles seems to put down. I have a great appreciation for all the signs and think it is fun. I guess BSG did not know about this additional sign either because I never heard them mention it it the series.LOL


Sly
said
0 0

I wonder how much $$$$$$$$$ was spent on this research.... i am what i am and will be what i am too late to change it now !!!


JD
said
0 0

Great...next they're going to tell us that the world is round! YEAH RIGHT!


Carly
said
0 0

This is not news to followers of Vedic Astrology practiced in India, which is more than 3,000 years old.


JF - Kitchener
said
0 0

My horoscope today said, "So, here it is: it's not you; it's me. We've had some wonderful memories but it just isn't working out. Enjoy your new Sign...I know that you'll be happier with them. Please move your stuff out before the weekend".HA!


Gyzmo
said
0 0

welllll
one way or the other, you have another sign as you grow older. I know - from what I read - I am closer to 3 signs than just one

also you were due a certain date, you go in labor early, doctor keeps you going with bed rest etc

then which signs is the right one?


Natasha
said
0 0

So much for my Aquarius tattoo!


Alisa Emslie
said
0 0

This exact message was given at a Vancouver Planetarium show which I attended as a North Van High student over 30 years ago now! I've been skeptical about the Zodiac signs ever since but still read them for fun. (sometime between 1984-1988)


Ben
said
0 0

People...people, read the Chinese astrology instead, it's more accurate.

The Pig.


Zodiac is such....
said
0 0

Does that mean 2012 isn't the end?


Isabella
said
0 0

I'm still a Leo! hehe :)


Helga Laval
said
0 0

So instead of being a Cancer I'm now a Gemini saddled with its infamous twin personalities? That might explain why I'm having double vision!


Ken Buswell
said
0 0

After 54 years of being a "Sag", now I'm an "Oph"?????????

I prefer being a Sag because basically, that's what I am.





Mr. D.
said
0 0

Oh No! Something that's utter nonsense has errors. Let's deal with reality rather than fantasy, shall we? This is the 21st century, the last time I checked.


Gary Boyle
said
0 0

Well its about time. Althought I do not follow astrology, I have been mentioning this exact situation in my astronomy course. Because the Sun, Moon and planets travel on the ecliptic (zodiac), I could not figured out why Ophiuchus was never used. As well the constellation boundaries come in an array of sizes in the night sky with some large and others small. At least now, the sky is properly represented as it should be. Although fun to read, astrology should never be used to plan our lives. Trust your instincts and experiences.


Reener
said
0 0

I've also read that there should be another sign between Taurus and Gemini - Arachnid. That would really mess up the calendar!


mama
said
0 0

ya right, there is no way in heck that Im a taurus! I am and always will be a crazy gemini!


Samantha
said
0 0

just a bunch of old ppl trying to sound smart!! i sticking to what i know....and thats 12 signs of the zodiac!


Nebula Pete
said
0 0

Oh who cares!


Jim in Ottawa
said
0 0

I have to admit that I have been growing increasingly concerned in recent years about the apparent contractictions between the events projected my daily horoscope versus the outcomes in my daily lives. For years, I've been blaming everything from the astrologer's level of expertise to my own lack of committment to their projections. But as I see it now, the whole problem has been a skewed frame of reference with respect to the zodiological signs! I would like to thank Prof. Kunkle for his insightful study, and will now shift my focus away from the Taurus sign which has been causing me nothing but grief and frustration for far too long.


He's an Aries
said
0 0

Despite all the bull, Stephen Harper (April 30, 1959) is actually an Aries, not a Taurus.Aries love to lead, and they are not very good at being followers. Sometimes this is because of one of their negative traits: selfishness. Those with an Aries horoscope are sometimes quick to get angry and selfish. That adventurous spirit and enthusiasm can also quickly turn to impulsive, impatient behavior.NO KIDDING!?


Lz in Edmonton
said
0 0

I married the wrong person, in the wrong job, have the wrong kids and went to the wrong school. Who the heck do I sue? lol


Sal
said
0 0

Kinda messes up the nice neat calendar sales. I wonder how this was not discovered in time for 2011 calendar - methinks that this zodiac prediction stuff might not be true...


Catwoman 38
said
0 0

Look at your sign under the chinese Horoscope , I am a rat ruled by the planet Jupiter.Jupiter is the planet for Sagitarrius.I am also born between 2 signs, one earth& one air, but my personality is a fire element. ( wands)


Get Real
said
0 0

I think someone is not getting enough sleep and is sooo tired they don't know what they're doing. C'mon...get real... with all the fortune tellers, astrology readers... and nobody until NOW sees this.... All i have to say is that i've been a Taurean for 43 years and my sign describes me to a 'T'... whereas Aries... doesn't even come close to me... Someone needs a nap!! lol


Concerned Citizen
said
0 0

I just read all the forecast and take whichever suits me, heheheheIf one thing suits millions of people, then man what can I say


trinity
said
0 0

I am a SCORPIO and I love it. No way, no how, is that going to change for me.


Jefferson
said
0 0

This is just some nutty Professor's theory; it's not something that's been adopted by the mainstream!! Stop worrying, especially if you're one of those people that had their astrological sign tattooed onto yourself! lmao


Megan
said
0 0

As I was reading this I was thinking to myself...a Leos personality is preeeetty unique..there's NO way I could be anything but a Leo no matter which way the month off was! and then I saw the new dates and realized...yep...I'm still definitely a Leo regardless:D yay! lol


Coral
said
0 0

The new Zodiac calendar and new sign Ophiuchus doesn't change who you are. I am and always will be a Scorpio. According to most people that study astrology; it is calculated from your exact birth time, date, and place. The accuracy of any future prediction or forecast depends on the accuracy of your birth time. Both astrological enthusiasts, as well as professional astrologers need to know the exact time of birth. An accurate birth time is a must to get exact predictions from birth charts. It is as important as when and where the planets were aligned when you were born. The timing of future events is very sensitive to any birth time changes. Therefor you cannot belong to the new Zodiac calendar unless you were born after the exact date and time it was created. So if you were born a Virgo or a Cancer you are still a Virgo or a Cancer!


kassy
said
0 0

i have to admit, i dont like this at all... i was a sag, now im a scorpio!!! i kinda wanted to be the new sign though, that would have been pretty cool! lol


Barb
said
0 0

Hey, Matthew. Trust me. I've been an aries for 37 years, they ROCK!!!


Paige
said
0 0

If there's any truth to this, I laugh at people who got their zodiacs tattooed on to their bodies.


cynical
said
0 0

Quid? Me anxious sum?


Kennie Sue
said
0 0

This throws everything out of line for me. and i'm actually ticked off. i don't know if i should believe this or not. i have grown up an Aquarius, and i refuse to call myself a Capricorn. i am nothing like the stereotypical Capricorn. this is ridiculous! can we please just ignore this "new discovery" because, i honestly do not think i am alone on this...


beckylee
said
0 0

•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. 22 •Scorpio: Nov. 23-29 •Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17 •Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20 Anybody notice that the "new" scorpio is only 6 days? How stupid is that?


Faye
said
0 0

Seriously, people? I mean, people actually believe that the day you were born on affects your life? You might as well say the type of tree nearest to you when you were born affects it, or whether you were born before or after 10.43am, or if the place you were born in was on a leyline. The only things that affect how you grow up are genetics, how you're raised, and who you choose to be. I'm an Aries, and remain so, but I've seen horoscopes where Gemini or Leo more accurately describes my day. It's all a load of rubbish written to be deliberately vague so as to apply to the largest number of people possible. It's like prophecies of ancient Greece, when some king was told if he went to war a great army would be destroyed, so he went to war thinking he was told he'd win, and it was his own army that was destroyed.


Phil Harrison
said
0 0

Whoever wrote that is no expert. The signs are off by more than a month. The traditional zodiac was constructed with the sun rising in Aries. Now it rises in Aquarius (Spring Equinox). It is one sign each 2000 years.


Savvy
said
0 0

LOL this article has totally changed since I first made my comments.They added the Ophiuchus part and the part about the east and west (tropical and sidereal).But my biggest grief regarding this article is the fact that its not news. This has been around for years.


mike
said
0 0

So if i was a "true gemini" and others were all tru gemeni's, and now we've all shifted to Taurus, does that mean that the definition of Taurus must change to that which was formerly known as Genemi?


Joe Dirt ( Mckague )
said
0 0

Well thats too far out even for me


mh
said
0 0

Actually, I prefer the Chinese horoscopes. I find they are more accurate.


KJ in Kingston Ontario
said
0 0

Born a Scorpio -- I'll die a Scorpio.... But given that the doctor in the delivery room exerts far more gravitational force on the baby -- due to his or her proximity and mass, as Carl Sagan correctly noted -- I don't think we need to realign our star stuff for the lunar precession.... There's at least 19 other documented relative motions that affect the trajectory of the Earth -- and no system developed at least two thousand years ago is going to take those into account either.


Robin
said
0 0

Ophiuchus? Seriously? What the hell is that?


Brian Fr Langely
said
0 0

and here I always thought my life was out of control having no rhyme or reason? Turns out I'm not the sign I thought I was. Whew!!


Gemstar
said
0 0

According to this, I am no longer a Gemini twin, but a Taurus. My whole persona will need to change to accommodate this, because long before I knew anything about astrology, and since, I have been the dual-minded, ambidextrous, fun-loving, sex-loving, sharp-as-a-tack Gemini. There isn't an ounce of "Taurean" blood in me! Let the Easterners have their 13th sign (most suitable to their backwards thinking, anyways). I'll do quite nicely with the 12 we've been using (with a high degree of accuracy) for the past 2K years.


liz borden
said
0 0

I have been a Leo for the past 40 years... everything in my astrological forcasts, seems to be me all the way. In the past decade or so this world as we know it has been going through its changes, and now your changes want me to change my life to go in accordance with a Cancer.My personality doesn't match that of a Cancer.. My youngest son is a Cancer and acts like it to through and through. I think this is one time people are actually going to ignore this so-called piece of science. If this is the only way , we knew it to be...why mess with it, people are who they are, and can not change who they are because someone wants to change history. If this was the case they it should have been documenetd a long time ago, so people could have associated themselves with this new bit of information.


Dave in Manitoba
said
0 0

The only word I saw in the comments, that makes any sense is 'stupid'! Now let's add superstitious garbage, throw it in with religion and be done with it.


Rh Nadeau
said
0 0

I don't believe in astrology.Of course, that's typical of us Pisces.


Mel Blake
said
0 0

As an astronomer myself, I can say that this isn't news or a new finding. I have been mentioning this to my students for years. I don't know why there would be a news story on this now. Precession, the changing of the direction of the Earth's pole compared to the stars is in any introductory astronomy textbook.


GDog
said
0 0

I never had much belief in them, however, out of curiosity I decided to check my "New" sign.I was a Gemini, now a Taurus, and thought my old description was somewhat accurate.My new description is exact. Now I know it's only a coincidence, .........but it is exact.Maybe I am a believer.


k
said
0 0

Phew! Thank god us Westeners are not affected. God forbid I'm a *gasp* Gemini. True Cancer through and through baby.


Ruth Reeb
said
0 0

Perhaps there is some validity within the predictions of who we are. If the astrological foundations that we previously believed in of the past are changing, then we too are changing in an ever -changing world. Is that not life itself ?


Prof. Pye Chartt
said
0 0

Phew! My astrological consultant is a tropical zodiac specialist. Moving to a different "sign" would have blow my life apart. Thankfully, I remain in peaceful alignment, and am at one with the seasons and the equinoxes.


Astrometeorologist
said
0 0

Why are you passing this around the internet like it's news? The divergence between the two zodiacs was back in Greek times. There is a Tropical and a Sidereal. I happen to be a Sidereal convert, but don't act like this is news.BTW, scientific (YES, ACTUAL SCIENCE) statistics do favor the method described above.


Susie
said
0 0

Can you not read? read the entire story


Ruth Reeb
said
0 0

Perhaps there is some validity within the predictions of who we are. If the astrological foundations that we previously believed in of the past are changing…then we too are changing in an ever -changing world. Is that not life itself ?


savvy
said
0 0

Being in the west, this only applies to you if youre born after '09.just an FYI for those freaking out


CYL
said
0 0

if people would stop tampering with the universe and eliminate the stupid daylight saving time, we all would be fine and the world would be normal as it should be.


Savvy
said
0 0

This is stupid. I don't see how all of a sudden an "expert" says theyre off by a month.its ALWAYS been this way, in the west this is how its done, in the east, theirs has always been 13 zodiac signs(unlike the west with the 12) with different dates. This is NOTHING new. If anyone actually researched their astrology sign, they would have known this years ago.True astrology followers know this. Seriously I hate how this is apperantly "new" news.


Matthew
said
0 0

You people are messed 24 years as a taurus now an aries this is stupid


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