NASA Confirms New Zodiac Signs – Is Your Entire Birth Chart WRONG?

The buzz about new zodiac signs has stirred confusion online, but astrologers were quick to respond, offering clarity and context to set the record straight.

 

 

Don’t worry, you’re not suddenly a new zodiac sign.

Astrology has been practised for thousands of years, and for good reason. Its rich layers of symbolism and mythological archetypes provide a framework for self-reflection, storytelling, and meaning-making across cultures. It’s not just a mystical pastime; it has been a source of guidance for philosophers, leaders, and everyday people throughout history.

Astrology has been practised for thousands of years, offering deep layers of symbolism and mythological archetypes that guide self-reflection and meaning-making across cultures. Far from being just a mystical pastime, it has influenced leaders, thinkers, and everyday people throughout history.

Even powerful figures recognised its value. J.P. Morgan, the legendary financier, once remarked, “Millionaires don’t use astrology, billionaires do.” Similarly, First Lady Nancy Reagan turned to astrology after the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, quietly consulting an astrologer to guide key decisions.

Yet today, astrology is once again making headlines, this time due to confusion about so-called new zodiac signs. The New York Times highlighted that while September 11 is traditionally Virgo season, in 2025, the constellation behind the Sun on that date is Leo. To some, the zodiac is outdated by 2,000 years.

But astrologers insist this interpretation is misleading, and that the talk of new zodiac signs misses the point entirely..

Despite this enduring influence from Wall Street to the White House, astrology has again found itself in the headlines. 

What makes up the 12 zodiac signs?

Astronomers today recognise 88 constellations, including familiar names like Virgo, Leo, and Scorpio. But these constellations, clusters of stars drifting light-years away, are not the same as the zodiac signs used in astrology.

When we talk about the zodiac, we’re referring to a symbolic system rooted in Earth’s perspective, not distant stars. Astrology is a geocentric practice: it’s about how the sky looks from our vantage point on Earth.

The zodiac wheel is divided into twelve equal parts, each spanning 30 degrees, to form a complete 360-degree circle of the sky. These twelve sections, each carrying its own archetypal meaning, correspond to the signs from Aries through Pisces.

This system is tied to Earth’s relationship with the Sun and the seasonal cycle, not the physical boundaries of the constellations. Aries aligns with the spring equinox, Cancer with the summer solstice, Libra with the autumnal equinox, and Capricorn with the winter solstice. In this way, the zodiac is as much about time and cycles as it is about space.

What is modern tropical astrology?

Modern tropical astrology, the system practised in much of the Western world, is based on the equinoxes and solstices. It begins at zero degrees Aries, marking the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere when the Sun crosses the celestial equator moving north.

From this point, the year unfolds in twelve equal 30-degree segments, forming the zodiac wheel we use today. This is why the Aries season always begins with the equinox in March, regardless of which constellation sits behind the Sun astronomically.

This framework makes the zodiac signs fixed in relation to Earth’s seasons, not shifting stars. The constellations, meanwhile, slowly drift because of a phenomenon called the precession of the equinoxes, a gradual wobble in Earth’s axis that causes the background stars to shift over millennia.

This is why the New York Times could note that September 11 in 2025 aligns with Leo rather than Virgo in astronomical terms. But for astrologers, that shift doesn’t matter, because tropical astrology is not based on star constellations.

What about the so-called “13th sign”?

Another claim that regularly surfaces online is that NASA added a 13th zodiac sign, Ophiuchus, disrupting the familiar twelve-sign system. This, too, is misleading.

The constellation Ophiuchus has always existed. Ancient Babylonian astrologers knew about it, but when they created the zodiac, they intentionally divided the sky into twelve equal parts, leaving Ophiuchus out of the astrological system.

NASA addressed this directly in blog posts, clarifying that it has not changed the zodiac or astrology. Its role is in astronomy, mapping stars and constellations, not astrology, which is a cultural and symbolic system. “We didn’t change the zodiac,” NASA explained. “We just did the math.”

In other words, Ophiuchus may be a constellation, but that does not make it a zodiac sign. Astrology and astronomy operate under different rules, and conflating them only adds confusion.

What are astrologers saying about the new report?

Unsurprisingly, astrologers were quick to respond to the latest wave of headlines suggesting the zodiac had shifted.

Celebrity astrologer Aliza Kelly reminded her followers that astrology is seasonal, not stellar: “Modern tropical Western astrology is not based on the constellations, it’s based on the seasons.”

Canadian astrologer and activist Chani Nicholas echoed this, pointing out that the same misconception pops up every few years. “Every year, like clockwork, one of two articles comes out about astrology: one is that your zodiac sign is 2,000 years out of date, the other is that there’s a 13th sign,” she said.

Nicholas also noted that if reporters consulted astrologers, they would understand that the zodiac signs were never meant to line up perfectly with constellations. As she explains in her writings, constellations like Virgo, Leo, or Capricornus vary in size and shape. By contrast, zodiac signs are symbolic divisions of the sky, each precisely 30 degrees of celestial longitude.

The AstroTwins, Ophira and Tali Edut, also weighed in, calling out the recycled story. In a post to their community, they reminded readers that the zodiac is measured from Earth’s perspective, using NASA’s data to map planetary positions at the moment of birth or an event.

Why the confusion persists

Part of the problem is that astrology and astronomy share overlapping language constellations, stars, and zodiac, but serve very different purposes. Astronomy is a science focused on physical objects in space. Astrology, meanwhile, is a symbolic system, tied to myth, psychology, and cycles of time.

When astronomical observations like the precession of the equinoxes or the presence of Ophiuchus are presented as though they “debunk” astrology, astrologers argue that it’s a category error. It’s like critiquing poetry for not being physics. Both are valid in their own realms, but they aren’t trying to do the same thing.

That’s why, despite sensational headlines, your zodiac sign has not changed. Tropical astrology still begins with Aries at the spring equinox and flows through the seasons. Whether the Sun appears in front of Virgo or Leo on a given September date doesn’t rewrite the system; it only highlights the difference between astronomical constellations and astrological symbols.

The verdict

So, did NASA or The New York Times change the zodiac? The short answer: no.

The New York Times highlighted the astronomical reality that constellations have shifted over thousands of years.

NASA acknowledged the existence of Ophiuchus but clarified that it did not change the zodiac.

Astrology continues to function as it always has, based on Earth’s relationship to the Sun and the cycle of the seasons.

In the end, the confusion is less about science versus belief and more about misunderstanding two distinct systems. Astronomy studies the physical universe; astrology interprets it symbolically. Both can coexist, but they are not interchangeable.

So rest assured: your zodiac sign hasn’t suddenly changed, not in 2025, not ever.

FAQs 

1. Did NASA really add new zodiac signs?
No. NASA never changed the zodiac. It only explained that there are more constellations in the sky, including Ophiuchus, which ancient astrologers left out. Astrology still has 12 signs.

2. What is Ophiuchus, and why do people call it the 13th sign?
Ophiuchus is a constellation, not a zodiac sign. Babylonian astrologers knew about it but decided to keep the zodiac divided into 12 equal signs for balance with the seasons.

3. Why do some reports say our zodiac signs are wrong?
These reports usually come from confusing astronomy with astrology. Astronomically, the stars have shifted over thousands of years, but astrology is based on Earth’s seasons, not the constellations.

4. Is my zodiac sign different in 2025?
No. Your zodiac sign has not changed. Even though the Sun may appear in front of a different constellation, astrology uses the tropical zodiac, which stays fixed to the equinoxes and solstices.

5. What’s the difference between astronomy and astrology?
Astronomy is a science that studies stars, planets, and space. Astrology is a symbolic system that interprets planetary cycles and their meaning for human life. They use similar terms, but they are not the same thing.

6. Why does the “new zodiac signs” story keep coming back?
Every few years, the same rumours resurface online. Headlines about zodiac signs being “out of date” or a “13th sign” grab attention, but astrologers have explained many times why they are misleading.

7. Should I start using the new zodiac signs for my horoscope?
No. Astrologers do not use Ophiuchus as part of the zodiac. The 12-sign system remains the standard in modern astrology.