"For NYT's the Upshot, Aatish Bhatia, Francesca Paris, and Rumsey Taylor show how zodiac signs were determined by the position of constellations relative to Earth and the Sun thousands of years ago. That probably seemed like a good idea at the time, but more accurate measurements and records show that if we continued to go by the relative positions, our zodiac signs would be different."
"The interactive elements and animations illustrate the shifts well. Enter your birth date to see how your sign would change, and a night sky moves to show how our perspective changes because of Earth's wobble."
Zodiac signs were originally assigned based on where constellations appeared relative to Earth and the Sun thousands of years ago. Over millennia, Earth's axial precession has altered the apparent positions of constellations relative to the calendar, producing discrepancies between traditional zodiac dates and current astronomical alignments. More accurate measurements and historical records reveal that many people's traditional sun signs would shift if defined by contemporary constellation positions. Interactive tools and animations can demonstrate these shifts visually by letting users enter birth dates and by animating the changing night sky as Earth's wobble repositions constellations over time.
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