An astronomer in Minnesota triggered a widespread identity crisis when he announced that zodiac signs and dates need to be shifted to make room for a 13th sign.
ATVN's Stephanie Frishberg spoke with experts about a new constellation that is stirring up controversy.
The controversial new sun sign is Ophiuchus, the serpent-bearer. However, Ophiuchus has actually been around for thousands of years, according to astronomers.
“The sun is no longer in the same direction of the sky as it was 2,000 years ago,” said Matt Malkan, an astronomy professor at UCLA. “In fact, there has been so much accumulation of these gradual errors that it’s shifted by more than one whole constellation.”
The astrological calendar is based on the dates that the sun passes through certain constellations. Therefore, someone is a Sagittarius because the sun was intersecting the Sagittarius constellation at the time of his or her birth.
These constellations are located on what astronomers call the ecliptic path.
Malkan says there should be 13 sun signs, because the sun passes through 13 constellations. Ophiuchus lies between Scorpio and Sagittarius.
“The whole premise of most astrologers as I understand it today is to pay no attention to this and ignore it, because they don’t want to admit that they could have been wrong all this time,” said Malkan.
Dr. Judith Harte has been practicing astrology for 35 years. She doesn’t deny that Ophiuchus exists, but she will not be including it in her readings any time soon.
“People should do what feels right to them. I want to be a Scorpio, I don’t want to be a Libra. I’m used to it. I like it. It has it’s ups and downs, but I don’t want to be anything else, so I’m just going to stick with what I know,” said Harte.
People have created trending topics on social networking sites expressing concern over what the astrological shake up could mean for their personal lives and fortunes.
Something astrologers and astronomers do agree on is that the answer is in the stars.
