Here’s Why Zodiac Constellations Are Still Used in Astronomy

Here’s Why Zodiac Constellations Are Still Used in Astronomy

To understand astronomy, astrology might actually not be a bad place to start… Although scientists certainly haven’t proven that being an Aries makes you more impatient or a Libra means you’re wise, the constellations in the zodiac have unlocked hidden secrets of the stars for centuries. In this episode, we’ll explore the ecliptic line and how it is still significant to astronomers today.

Here’s how it works. If you could see all of the stars during the day, over the course of a year you’d be able to see the Sun slowly moving along a path from one constellation to the next. That imaginary path is called the ecliptic; and it’s arguably one of the most important coordinate systems in astronomy.

What makes the ecliptic line so useful is how it shows the plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun and our place in the solar system.

Because all of the major celestial bodies in the solar system orbit the Sun in a similar way, they’re on or near the same flat plane of the ecliptic. That’s all the planets, and even the Moon. While some differ by a few degrees from the line, they’re all essentially there. Another reason zodiac constellations became so famous throughout history, is that we always see the moon, planets and eclipses near them.