Not Taurus and Gemini: NASA told how shifted the zodiac signs for 3000 years

• Do not Taurus, and Gemini: NASA told how moved zodiac

for 3,000 years

Such turbulent rivers potekshey carcasses and blubbered to the point cushions the world has not seen since the time of the premiere of "Titanic." But, as is usually the case, it all started trite and simple. That morning, nothing no signs of trouble. Planet lived an ordinary life: in New York, Michael and Jacob, screaming loudly, trade stocks, smiling in Baku Ali selling delicious fruits in the market, and the old mechanic Nazar Semyonitch from Kondopoga intense sips destroyed the remnants of cherry liqueur before leaving the house. Birds sang, veypery smoked ( "This steam is not allowed!"), And the election of deputies of municipal assemblies in which time passed with the predictable result.

Yet to you, the working people who earn below the belt, so to speak, a grenade! What really pull, really terrible happened. Later that day called Black in the offices of all the women's magazines of the world: on the educational portal NASA SpacePlace international community was reminded that the position of the constellations (including zodiac) with respect to the ecliptic of the Sun is constantly changing due to precession.

But what are these mysterious terms mean?

This scientific remark provoked a strong reaction in the women's press, "NASA for the first time in 2000 years has renewed the astrological signs! In 86% of us change the sign horoscope! "You can imagine how stressful the news has caused those who believe in astrology. If horoscope sign changed, these poor people have to reconsider his whole life. Maybe even change her husband.

It must be admitted, has turned a noble trolling from NASA. NASA SpacePlace simply explains that astronomy and astrology - are completely different things. Astrology is by no means a science. Nobody has proved that with the help of astrology can predict the future or to give human characteristics only on the basis of its date of birth. This is totally stupid assumption. In principle, most people understand it. It is understood even by those who love to read every day as a fairy tales your "astrological forecast" or "horoscope" for the day. But there are exceptions. In some very advanced cases people even make important life decisions, taking into account positions of the stars in the sky - for example, comparing the signs of the zodiac different people to determine their compatibility.

NASA SpacePlace gives a brief background that is the zodiac and the zodiacal constellations.

Zodiac (from the Greek "circle of animals") - a belt around the ecliptic, in which the apparent annual motion of the Sun, as well as the sequence of sections into which the belt is divided. While the Sun moves almost directly along the ecliptic, the different constellations periodically shifted to the north or south of the ecliptic. The ecliptic passes through 13 constellations: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces and Ophiuchus - but recently decided to ignore for convenience.

When the Earth, the Sun and the constellation are about the same imaginary line, the astrologers believe that at this time, "the sun is in such and such a constellation."

In ancient times, astronomers do not fully understand how to move the Earth, the Sun and stars. They did not realize the scale of the universe, but still did not leave attempts to find some regularity. They tried hard to understand what they see in the starry sky. Thanks to the rich astrology human imagination quite harmoniously fit into many ancient religions.

People imagine that constellation can be important symbols to tell stories about their gods, and serve as an illustration of myths and ancient stories and legends. The echoes of those ancient pagan religions and myths we are seeing now in the form of "horoscope" in women's magazines.

The concept of the zodiac and the zodiac constellations introduced in Babylon about 3000 years ago. Since Babylon was used a calendar of 12 months, based on the phases of the moon, it was very convenient to divide the zodiac into 12 equal parts, which correspond to months.

In the Babylonian sources, they numbered 13 constellations of the zodiac, so one had to be abandoned for convenience. Unfortunately, even after that, some of the chosen dozen not very well fit into the allotted 1/12 of the year and go beyond the segment. For example, the sun passes amid Virgin constellation for 45 days at the background of the Scorpion - 7 days, against Ophiucus - 18 days. Everything is simplified, and Ophiuchus thrown at all.

After 3000 years, the picture has changed a little. The fact that the observed precession of the Earth's axis with a period of 25,800 years, the Earth rotates.

precession with a period of 25,800 years is influenced by lunar gravity, the sun and the heterogeneity of the mass density distribution within the Earth.

The ancient astronomers did not know it, so that they did not anticipate the displacement of zodiacal constellations with respect to the calendar year. But that's what happened. Therefore, the actual picture of the zodiac is a little different from the one calculated the 3000 years ago.

Women's magazines publish real table horoscope signs (on the dates of the calendar year), after adjusting for the precession as of 2016. For example, born August 4 Lions considered themselves (or lioness), but with the refined steel Cancers dates horoscope.

Capricorn: January 20 - February 16

Sagittarius: December 17 - January 20,

Well, the trolls with NASA SpacePlace note that the precession of the amendments to the accuracy of "horoscope" will not change. It was zero, it remains so. Unfortunately, some people do not stop on this magical seek advice for their lives. For example, 21% of people in the UK read the horoscope, "often" or "very often" and 25% of respondents believe astrology is "very scientific" discipline. Surprisingly, even in scientific journals are sometimes published papers on astrology.

Well, we can only hope that fans of horoscopes quickly recovered from the blow treacherous scientists from NASA.