What Are Star Signs
Star signs refer to the 12 zodiac constellations the Sun passes through during the year. Each sign is named after a pattern of stars and is used in astrology to represent dates and personality traits.
Star Signs and Constellations
Constellations are groups of stars that form recognizable shapes. The zodiac signs align with 12 of these patterns along the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the sky over the course of a year.
How Star Signs Appear in the Night Sky
Star signs are visible as regions of the sky, not as single stars. Their patterns depend on Earth’s orbit and viewing angle. Over thousands of years, precession shifts the sky, so the Sun’s position relative to the constellations has changed from when the signs were first defined.
For more on the science of star patterns, see NASA.
