A look at the constellations

ARIES

Is the first astrological sign in the Zodiac. Aries is a seasonally associated with spring and according to the astrologers represents a strong something creative thrust and powerful expression of energy.

TAURUS

Is the second astrological sign in the Zodiac. Taurus has been seasonally associated with the flourish of spring, when the Earth is green and fresh.

GEMINI

Is the third astrological sign in the Zodiac. Gemini is linked with the 'element of air' wich represents the mental and social realms, the ability to formulate abstracts ideas and to effectively interpret symbols.

CANCER

Is the fourt astrological sign in the Zodiac. It is considered a water sign and one of four cardinal signs.

LEO

Is the fifth astrological sign in the Zodiac. Leo is considered to be a 'masculine', it is also considered a fire signand is one of four fixed signs.

VIRGO

Is the sixth astrological sign in the Zodiac. Virgo is seasonally asociated with the end of summer and the onset of autumn when nature having borne its fruit recedes into conservation.

LIBRA

Is the seventh astrological sign in the Zodiac. Libra is considered a masculine, positive sign and it is also considered an air sign and is one of four cardinal signs.

SCORPIO

Is the eighth astrological sign in the Zodiac. People born with the sun in Scorpio are very determined, reserved, tenacious and secretive.

By Francisca O.

The astronomical world and the astrological world.

In ancient times, astrology was the same as astronomy, but both grew apart after the Renaissance (like the alchemy of chemistry).

Today, the scientific community believes that astrology is a pseudoscience or superstition.

The astronomical world and the astrological world.
For this reason, in general astronomers have not a large participation in the study of astrology, but there is a historic battle between astronomers and astrologers: the number of signs of SODIACO and their duration.

Different astronomical communities for example  the British Astronomical Society said that sodiaco signs should be 13 and should last for different periods of time because the constellations are different sizes. In addition, the curren signs are not considered the fact that the Earth's axis moves each year. This means that today, after nearly 3,000 years since the original zodiac horoscope, would have to delay the horoscope a complete sign.

Astrologers have reacted with fury and determination: they will not move the signs. The majority think as Jonathan Cainer, astrologer for the Daily Mail, that ignorance of scientists “is overwhelming”.
"The existence of Ophiuchus is known by everyone from inmernorial time," says Cainer mourning that astronomers cant  understand the meaning of conventional signs used in astrology. "We've never based our predictions astrological on the constellations," says Caine, who insists in that the important  is the position of the planets as seen from Earth.

This makes it clear that the astrological world and the astronomical world dont see the things in the same way.

By Victoria Castillo 

Origin of the name of the constellations

The zodiac is a band of sky where are the sun and the planets. In the 5th century a.C this region was divided in 12 equal parts (One for every month of the year). To which they gave the name of the most near constellation. These constellations were the following ones.

Aries: The ram with traveled Frixio and Hele, when they left their homeland to reach Cochis. It was then the Golden Fleece. 

Taurus: the are two versions 1) The Bull of Crete, a mythical beast that lived in that area. 2) The form adopted when Zeus kidnapped Europe. 

Gemini: The twins Castor and Pollux. Pollux was inmortal, not his brother Castor. When Castor died, Pollux gave his immortality to save his brother. 

Cancer: The crab that Hera sent to help the Hydra of Lerna, when it fought against Hercules. 

Leo: The Lion of Nemea, killed by Hercules, who strangled him, because his skin was impenetrable. the hero with his own claws skinned (the one that could hurt him) and stayed skin as it's symbol. 

Virgo: The myth is Astraea, daughter titánide CEO and Phoebe, still having had an affair with fellow Titan Perses, whose union was the result of Hecate (Goddess of Darkness and the Crossroad), virtuously resisted the raving of Zeus not become another carnal adventure of "thunder". Because if this island was turned into an almost deserted and abandoned, Ortigia. 


Libra: Myth says that is attributed to the goddness of Justice, as well as illustrating ancient Roman depictions of Julius Caesar carrying a balance, symbolizing his power and justice. Later the Roman ruler would be deleted and the figure would keeo the balance.


Scorpion: It was the one that the goddess Artemisa sent against the giant hunter Orión. As Orión it was a bit short of mind, he trod on it and the scorpion fixed the sting to him. Both died and Zeus put each one opposite other one, in order that they were not fighting.

Sagitario: The centaur Quirón, doctor of the doctors, tired of his condition of immortal, decided to change it into Prometeo's salvation. When the treatment was formalized, Prometeo asked him " why have you done it? Now that you are dead, for much that you get tired, you are not going to be able to change it... "


Ofiuco: God of the cane and the serpent, acquaintance in other mythologies, nowadays I seal number 13 of the zodiac, due to the precision that to merita the movement of the axis of the land.


Capricornio: Representation of the Goat Amaltea, which nursed Zeus when his mother Rea hid it from the sight of his father Cronos.


Acuario: The young person Ganímedes, the cupbearer of the gods in the Olympus. A young person of extreme beauty who obtained the love of the God Zeus.


Piscis: When the gods fled of the titan Typhoon, many people adopted animal forms. Plough and Aphrodite they did it in the shape of fish and were fished by a fisherman. Other sources say that it were the damned Cadmo and Harmony those who were fished.




By Karen S. and Francisca R.

Finds constellations of the Zodiac on October evenings.

Today’s sky chart shows the constellations of the Zodiac that are up after nightfall on these October evenings. In a separate chart below, we show the positions of the zodiacal constellations Aquarius and Pisces relative to the Great Square of Pegasus. 


First, the zodiacal constellations are the backdrop for the pathway of the sun around our sky each year, and of the moon for every month. Since the sun’s path lies within these constellations, you can look for them along the approximate path that the sun follows during the day from east to west across the sky.


Another thing you can do is to locate the signpost Summer Triangle high in the south to overhead at nightfall. As seen from the northern hemisphere, the ecliptic swings way below the Summer Triangle. An imaginary line drawn from the bright star Vega through the star Altair points in the general direction of Sagittarius, and a line drawn from Deneb through Altair escorts you to Capricornus.


As seen from the southern hemisphere, these same constellations of the Zodiac — Sagittarius and Capricornus — appear high in the sky instead of close to the horizon. As darkness falls, the Summer Triangle asterism appears “upside down” and low in the north to northwest sky.

Learn also the Great Square of Pegasus asterism, found in the east to southeast sky on these October evenings. The Great Square can help guide you to the zodiacal constellations Aquarius and Pisces, as shown on the sky chart.


As the years go by, pay special attention to the planet Jupiter, the fourth brightest heavenly body to light up the sky. It is often called the year star because this planet stays in the same constellation of the Zodiac for approximately a year. At present, Jupiter resides in front of Aries. So you can use Jupiter to locate Aries until the giant planet finally disappears from the evening sky in late April or May 2012. At this time next year, Jupiter will be in front of the Taurus constellation. 


By Camila L.

Good New!

We have a new Observatory!! 
Only 50 kilometers from Santiago, in a setting surrounded by hills and nature, is the Observatory in San Lorenzo farm un Cajon del Maipo.
Becoming one of the pioneers in astronomical tourism in the metropolitan area, the observatory has the latest equipment, which include four telescopes, three are located in a courtyard and one in a cupola, that work together to integrate a wide variety of options and optical that provide many opportunities for stargazing. And thanks to a collaboration agreement with the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences (UMCE) is carry out work for cooperation in education and scientific dissemination.

                                                  Aerial view

By Francisca R.

"Ofiuco" The new zodiacal Sign

"OFIUCO" is aconstellation that receives a star that is scarcely to 6 light years of the Earth) also called the Serpentario, the carrier of the serpent.. To the norht of Ofiuco Hercules is situated, and to the south-east Scorpion (Scorpius) and to the southwest Sagittarius (Sagittarius); in the western part there stay Eagle (Aquila), Sobieski's Shield (Scutum) and Tail of the Serpent (Serpens Cauda), whereas in the eastern part they find the Head of the Serpent (Serpens Caput) and Pound.

Some astrologers and people say that Ofiuco is the new zodiacal sign, so there would be 13 signs, not 12

With the incorporation of “Ofiuco or Ophiuchus” the zodiac would stay this way:

Aries: April 19 - May 13

Taurus: May 14 - June 21

Gemini: June 22 - July 20

Cancer: July 21 - August 10

Leo: August 11 - September 16

Virgo: September 17 - October 30

Libra: October 31 - November 23

Scorpio: November 24 - November 29

Ofiuco : November 30 - December 17

Sagittarius: December 18 - January 20

Capricorn: January 21 - February 16

Aquarius: Feruary 17 - March 11

Pisces: March 12 - April 18

By: Karen Silva C.

Expanding your knowledge

Chile is a country very lucky! it is because he has one of the clearest skies, acctually is considered one of yhe best places in the world to study the space through a telescope.

Here I'll show you some chilean observatories. 

Cruz del sur observatory

This Observatory possesses a structure of four domes, each equipped whit powerfull telescopes. We talked about some of most modern astronomical centers which opened in early 2009 in Chile.

http://www.observatoriocruzdelsur.cl/

Mamalluca observatory 
It's located 9 miles northewest of Vicuña, the observatory was opened in November 1998, a project conceived by the city of Vicuña in conjuntion with the Club of Amateur Astronomy (CASMIA) and sponsored by the Observatory Cerro Tololo Inter-American. 

http://www.mamalluca.org/ingles/


Collowara Observatory
It is one of the newest tourist observation center in Chile and is located near the town of Andacollo, IV region. The realization of this complex has a modern infrastructure and observation and a beautiful architectural line.

 http://www.collowara.cl/

Del Pangue observatory 

The Observatory located 17 miles south of Vicuña in the IV region of Chile shared the clearest sskies in the world with the observatories like Tololo, Soar and Gemini. The absence of light pollution with optimal weather conditions allow the observatory to provide a high quality service and personalized to a more demanding public.

http://www.observatoriodelpangue.blogspot.com/

By Francisca R.