page_title: Constellation family
section_title: Zodiac
hierarchical_section_title: Constellation family / Menzel's families / Zodiac
caption_attribution_description: English: While in reality the Earth goes in an orbit around the Sun, it seems from the Earth that the Sun moves over the ecliptic (red) on the celestial dome. When the Sun seems to pass through the vernal equinox (longitude 0°), the longitude of the Earth itself is 180° longitude. Français&#160;: Alors qu’en réalité la Terre est en orbite autour du Soleil, il semble que le Soleil, vu depuis la Terre, se déplace le long de l’écliptique (en rouge) sur la voute céleste. Quand le Soleil semble passer sur l’équinoxe vernale (à la longitude 0°), la longitude de la Terre elle-même est de 180°. Português: Enquanto na realidade a Terra orbita em torno do Sol, a aparência da Terra é de que o Sol se move na órbita elíptica (em vermelho) na cúpula celestial. Quando o Sol parece passar através do equinócio primaveril (longitude 0º), a longitude da Terra para si mesma é de 180º de longitude.
context_page_description: Constellation families are collections of constellations sharing some defining characteristic, such as proximity on the celestial sphere, common historical origin, or common mythological theme. In the Western tradition, most of the northern constellations stem from Ptolemy's list in the Almagest, and most of the far southern constellations were introduced by sailors and astronomers who traveled to the south in the 16th to 18th centuries. Separate traditions arose in India and China.
context_section_description: The Zodiac is a group of 12 constellations: Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer. Some version of these constellations are found in traditions around the world, for this band around the celestial sphere includes the ecliptic, the apparent path of the sun through the year. These constellations therefore are all associated with zodiac signs.  (The ecliptic also passes through the constellation Ophiuchus, which doesn't have an associated zodiac sign.)
caption: The Earth in its orbit around the Sun causes the Sun to appear on the celestial sphere moving over the ecliptic (red), which is tilted on the equator (blue).
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