Environment

Astronomy: What Does it Mean Today?

By Lily Coenen ('23)

Astronomy, astrology, and most anything to do with the mystery and beauty behind the stars we see every night have become more and more of a prominent conversation topic in recent years. Due to media and more recent explanations as to how the stars connect to different personality types, astronomy has lost its scientific and historical significance and become more doubted and grouped together with commonly disregarded superstitions not to be taken seriously. However, the study and science surrounding astrology are significant and only improving today and dive much deeper than horoscopes. 
Astronomy itself branches out farther than anything most humans will ever come in contact with: space. Anything beyond the Earth’s atmosphere falls into the domain of astronomy, so there is a vast range of what is studied. From allowing us to take the first steps on the moon to predicting the expiration date of our own planet, astronomers have one of the most fascinating and important jobs that seemingly gets forgotten about in the age of personal technology. 
One of the major connections between ancient astrology and modern astronomy are the constellations of the zodiac. Although horoscopes and star signs are becoming more and more informal and dismissed, they have an interesting historical background. Sometimes the way certain personality traits being connected to different star signs can seem random (and sometimes are not from reputable sources), they originate from the stories attached to the stars. For example, any app or website could tell someone with a Scorpio birth month that they are supposedly high-tempered and compassionate, but they weren’t the ones to decide this, and it’s not random. 
Ancient Babylonians are the most ancient traceable origin source for the zodiac and constellations even though the stories are sometimes attributed to Greeks and Mesopotamians. Using a celestial, or elliptic coordinate system, the latitude was determined based on the position of the elliptic position of the Earth and the longitude was determined by the position of the Sun. This helped with farming cycles, navigation, and influenced religious beliefs. Once spread among the Middle East, it becomes difficult to determine exactly where the stories of the signs originated, but the easiest and most common source is the Greeks. From mythology and religion, the constellations eventually were named and had backstories attached that were depicted by the shape they made in the sky. While there are more than the twelve constellations connected to the months of the year that make up the zodiac, these were the ones used for everyday purposes and are still used today. 
For example, the Greek mythology story of Aries is seen as the first sign in the celestial coordinate system and can be seen in the northern hemisphere. The story depicts a man who sacrifices a ram in order to save his friend’s life, and in return an image of a golden ram is the very thing that saves his life. Because this story depicts selflessness, sacrifice, and trust, these are characteristics commonly attributed to those born in the month range of the Aries zodiac sign. 
The zodiac signs and the stories that go with them are part of ancient cultures still celebrated and practiced today. Although it may be fun to see what your sign means, remember to show respect for the history.