The zodiac is a band around the sky about 18° wide, centered on the ecliptic, in which the Sun, Moon, and planets move.

 

The band is divided into 12 signs of the zodiac, each 30° long, that were named by the ancient Greeks after the constellations that used to occupy these positions; "zodiac" means "circle of animals," and only Libra is inanimate. Over the past 2,000 years, precession has moved the constellations eastward by over 30° so that they no longer coincide with the old signs.

 

The 12 constellations of the zodiac are:

 

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricornus

Aquarius

Pisces