13th Sign Of The Zodiac - Ophiuchus

Source: Geocities

The constellation Ophiuchus - also known as Serpentarius, the Serpent Holder -
has been known about since ancient times but it was never added to the Zodiac chart as astrologers said that the Sun went straight from Scorpius into Sagittarius, disregarding the fact that the sun travelled through Ophiuchus for 19 days before entering Sagittarius.

Ophiuchus is often mistakenly called the 'thirteenth sign of the zodiac' because the sign is thought of as an additional sign to the the twelve Tropical or Sidereal signs. In fact, Ophiuchus is a Sun-sign in the Real Solar Zodiac, i.e. the Sun can be seen against the stars of Ophiuchus between 30th November and 17th December each year. [The dates of the cusps move a little from one year to the next, so sometimes they are quoted as 1st December to 18th December.] Aquarius, the Water Carrier, is the actual 13th, and last, sign of the Real Solar Zodiac.

As Ophiuchus is a Sun-sign it is also a member of the Planetary Zodiac and the Lunar Zodiac, i.e. as well as the Sun, the planets and the Moon can frequently be seen against the stars of Ophiuchus, from the view point of the Earth.

The planet Pluto could be found in Ophiuchus until the end of 2003, after which it passed into Serpens Cauda, the Serpent's Tail. The Centaur object, the minor planetoid Chiron, was visible against the stars of Ophiuchus until November 2001, after which it passed over the border into Sagittarius. Venus and Mercury can be found in Ophiuchus for a time each year. Shown right is an example of a star chart for Pluto in Ophiuchus in June 1999.

Ophiuchus is an Ancient Greek constellation. The Serpent Bearer is one of the original Ptolemy constellations, appearing in Al Magest Star Catalogue [c 130 - 170 AD]. He also appears on the Farnese Globe, a Roman copy of a circa 2nd century BC depiction of Atlas holding the Celestial Sphere above his head...