ophichus *the new zodiac*

Astronomer Parke Kunkle tells NBC news that due to the Earth's changing alignment in the last 3000 years, the sign you are born into now are different than they were long ago. Plus, astronomers believe there is a 13th Zodiac sign called Ophiuchus, which falls between Scorpio and Sagittarius.

"This is not something that happened today. This has gone on for thousands of years," says Kunkle. "Because of this change of tilt, the Earth is really over here in effect and Sun is in a different constellation than it was 3,000 years ago."

The constellation of Ophiuchus is located near the celestial equator and is typically depicted as a man wrangling a serpent. "Ophiuchus" means "serpent-bearer" in Greek. There are several different characters from Greek mythology that Ophiuchus is thought to represent, including Asclepius the healer, Trojan priest Laocoon, who was killed by sea serpents, and Phorbas, who saved the people of Rhodes from an infestation of serpents.

The sign Ophiuchus can be found in the Sidereal Zodiac, which is used by Jyotish (or Hindu) astrologers. The Sidereal Zodiac's astrological sign dates are what is listed below and they are based on a moving Zodiac, not the fixed one we use today in Western astrology. Therefore, that Zodiac has shifted almost one full sign from the fixed zodiac. 

So astrology enthusiasts should technically be using these dates, which reflect the current alignment of the Sun, Earth and stars.

Capricorn: Jan. 20 - Feb. 16
Aquarius: Feb. 16 - March 11
Pisces: March 11- April 18
Aries: April 18- May 13
Taurus: May 13- June 21
Gemini: June 21- July 20
Cancer: July 20- Aug. 10
Leo: Aug. 10- Sept. 16
Virgo: Sept. 16- Oct. 30
Libra: Oct. 30- Nov. 23
Scorpio: Nov. 23- Nov. 29
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29- Dec. 17
Sagittarius: Dec. 17- Jan. 20
We have to say -- we've always enjoyed being a Libra, it suits our personality very well. So we aren't sure we're ready to be a Virgo. And do you know any Ophiuchuses? (Ophiuchi?)
UPDATE: Don't panic, horoscope fans. The Ophiuchus constellation is used by astronomers, while astrologers chose not to include it. We just thought it was an interesting idea to think about.