The Zodiac is the ring of constellations that the Sun seems to pass through each year as the Earth orbits around it. The etymology of the term zodiac comes from the Latin zōdiacus, from the Greek ζῳδιακός [κύκλος], meaning "circle of animals", derived from ζῴδιον, the diminutive of ζῷον "animal"
Contrary to popular belief, there are actually 13 zodiacal constellations . In addition to
Aquarius, the water bearer
Aries, the ram
Cancer, the crab
Capricorn, the goat
Gemini, the twins
Leo, the lion
Libra, the scales
Pisces, the fish
Sagittarius, the archer
Scorpius, the scorpion
Taurus, the bull
Virgo, the virgin
the Sun also passes through Ophiuchus.
Ophiuchus (Οφιούχος IPA: /ˌɒfiːˈuːkəs/) is one of the 88 constellations and was also one of the 48 listed by Ptolemy. Ophiuchus was formerly referred to as Serpentarius (/ˌsɚpənˈtɛəriəs/), the former originating in Greek and the latter in Latin, both meaning "serpent-holder". It is a large constellation located around the celestial equator between Aquila, Serpens and Hercules, northwest of the center of the Milky Way. The southern part lies between Scorpius to the west and Sagittarius to the east. Of the 13 zodiacal constellations (constellations that contain the Sun during the course of the year), Ophiuchus is the only one not counted as an astrological sign.
It is best visible in the northern summer and located opposite Orion in the sky. Ophiuchus is depicted as a man grasping a serpent; the interposition of his body divides the snake constellation Serpens into two parts, Serpens Caput and Serpens Cauda, which are nonetheless counted as one constellation.
Also the "Signs of the Zodiac" are out of sync with the actual position of the constellations by about one month. This is because the zodiac was concieved around 2 centuries back and since
then the earth's movements have undergone certain changes.
