{"id":24942,"date":"2023-03-07T17:00:34","date_gmt":"2023-03-07T16:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=138425"},"modified":"2023-03-07T17:35:35","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T16:35:35","slug":"astrologys-biggest-2023-claim-debunked-saturn-isnt-moving-into-pisces-its-not-even-close","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/astrologys-biggest-2023-claim-debunked-saturn-isnt-moving-into-pisces-its-not-even-close\/","title":{"rendered":"Astrology\u2019s biggest 2023 claim debunked: Saturn isn\u2019t moving into Pisces. It\u2019s not even close"},"content":{"rendered":"

The news is awash with news that Saturn is moving into Pisces, after spending two-and-a-half years in the constellation Aquarius. <\/p>

By Holly Spanner\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 07 March 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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You\u2019ve probably noticed a great deal of hubbub surrounding the ringed planet, Saturn, as it supposedly transits into its new home; Pisces. On 7 March 2023, popular outlets say that Saturn is moving from the constellation Aquarius, where it\u2019s spent the last 2.5 years, into Pisces, where it will remain until February 2026.<\/p>\n

The planet Saturn, a cosmic authority which traditionally represents discipline, structure, and responsibility, moving into Pisces is thought, by those in the astrology community, to mean a shift in focus. Pisces as a sign is associated with intuition, creativity, and compassion. Put them together, and \u2013 according to astrologists \u2013 you\u2019ve got all the material to tout the beginnings of a new stage in your life; time to embrace that new creative endeavour, the business you\u2019ve always dreamed of, or kickstart your new wellness regime.<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019ve got even a basic astronomy app<\/a> installed on your phone, you\u2019ll \u2013 quite understandably \u2013 be confused at these claims. A quick glance, and you\u2019ll see that Saturn is not actually entering Pisces<\/strong>. In fact, astronomers from The University of Sussex and Liverpool John Moores University have categorically confirmed to\u00a0BBC Science Focus<\/i>\u00a0that it\u2019s set to remain in Aquarius until 2025.<\/p>\n

So, what\u2019s going on?<\/p>\n

To answer this, we have to consider variables other than simply Saturn\u2019s orbit. Yes \u2013 Saturn has a 29.4-year orbit<\/a>. If we turn that into days (10,756 days) and divide that by 12, the number of zodiac constellations on the ecliptic, we get 896 days. Divide this by the number of days in a year (365), and we\u2019ve got 2.5 (rounded up). So, according to this, Saturn stays in each constellation for 2.5 years, as it progresses through its 29.4-year orbit around the Sun<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So far, so good.<\/p>\n

However, our view of the night sky is influenced by Earth\u2019s position, relative<\/em> to what we\u2019re viewing.<\/p>\n

And there are other aspects at play.<\/p>\n

Wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff<\/h2>\n
The Earth wobbles on its axis of rotation, like a toy spinning slightly off-centre. This slow wobbling motion causes a slight shift in the position of the stars and constellations in the night sky over time, an effect known as \u2018axial precession\u2019. This happens on a cycle of around 26,000 years.<\/p>\n
\n https:\/\/media.immediate.co.uk\/volatile\/sites\/4\/2023\/03\/149axialprecession-356ad0a.m4v<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n
In addition to changes in the distribution of solar radiation received by the Earth, precession is therefore pretty important when it comes to how we view the night sky, at our point in the geological timescale. And there\u2019s also\u00a0 apsidal precession<\/a>. Not only does Earth\u2019s axis wobble, but Earth\u2019s entire orbital ellipse also wobbles.<\/p>\n
Astrologers, however, choose to ignore this crucial mechanism.<\/p>\n
Due to precession, the position of the zodiac constellations have shifted over time; they\u2019re not in the same place they used to be. And they will continue to move (and change shape) as the millennia go on.<\/p>\n
Ignoring the effects of precession means that western astrologers use dates that are not representative of what is actually going on.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s not just the position of the planets that western astrologers get wrong, as Dr Darren Baskill<\/a>, astronomer and lecturer from the University of Sussex explains:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Sun does not move into the constellation of Pisces until the 12 March 2023, but astrologers say that the star sign of Pisces covers the period from 19 February\u00a0 \u2013 almost a month earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Sun moved in front of the constellation of Pisces on 19 February in the years around 700AD, so astrologers appear to be stuck 1,300 years in the past,\u201d says Baskill.<\/p>\n
By the same logic, we could argue that it\u2019s still summer \u2013 when, at the time of writing, it is in fact a cold, drizzly day in March.<\/p>\n
The zodiac band of sky<\/h2>\n
When the science of astronomy was still in its infancy, some of the first stars to be grouped into patterns, were those forming the background to the Sun as it moved across the sky, while the Earth in turn, was happily orbiting the Sun.<\/p>\n
This narrow strip of sky is what we now know as the \u2018zodiac band\u2019. It\u2019s centred on the ecliptic \u2013 the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere \u2013 and extends approximately 9 degrees on either side. In other words, the zodiac constellations represent divisions of the sky along the ecliptic, and each constellation corresponds to an astrological sign: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.<\/p>\n
In astrology, it\u2019s the position of the planets and stars within this band, that is believed to hold influence over personality traits, events, or human affairs.<\/p>\n
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