NASA is facing backlash following allegations that the company has changed the astrological calendar.
Firm believers of the power of zodiac signs were outraged when they heard rumors that the agency was shifting from 12 constellations to 13 constellations in the zodiac, switching the signs of some people who use astrology to better understand themselves.
3,000 years ago, the ancient Babylonians created the calendar under the belief that the Earth’s position in the solar system affected how humans behaved depending on their zodiac sign and the Sun’s apparent position within the zodiac constellations.
There were 13 constellations on the zodiac of varying sizes, but the Babylonians decided to omit one and stick with 12 constellations that are more or less the same size and length in the calendar year for consistency’s sake.
Ophiuchus was never noted as a constellation of the zodiac despite its position in space, and NASA included it in its educational page Space Plane. The move was controversial as many blamed the agency for changing their zodiac sign.
The agency clarified the matter, saying it studies astronomy, not astrology. “Astrology is something else. It’s not science. No one has shown that astrology can be used to predict the future or describe what people are like based only on their birth date,” NASA wrote on the site.
Certain publications such as Cosmo and Yahoo News changed their zodiac publications following the news. Here is what the new signs look like:
- 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 23
- Scorpio: Nov 23 – Nov 29
- Ophiuchus: Nov 29 – Dec 17
- Sagittarius: Dec 17 – Jan 20
