Astronomical symbols
Encyclopedia
Astronomical symbols are symbols used to represent various celestial objects, theoretical constructs and observational events in astronomy
. The earliest forms of these symbols appear in Greek papyri
of late antiquity
. The Byzantine codices
in which the Greek papyri were preserved continued and extended the inventory of astronomical symbols. New symbols were further invented to represent many just-discovered planet
s and minor planet
s discovered in the 18th-20th centuries.
All these symbols were once commonly used by professional astronomer
s, amateur astronomers, and astrologer
s. They are still used in almanacs and astrological publications, but with the exception of the Sun and Earth symbols they have fallen into disuse in published research and texts on astronomy.
for "sun", which gave rise to the modern character 日.
In modern academic usage, the sun symbol is used for astronomical constants relating to the sun. The luminosity, mass, and radius of stars are often represented using the corresponding solar constants as units of measurement
.
, produced in the 2nd century, shows Greek personifications of planetary gods charged with early versions of the planetary symbols: Mercury has a caduceus
; Venus has, attached to her necklace, a cord connected to another necklace; Mars, a spear; Jupiter, a staff; Saturn, a scythe; the Sun, a circlet
with rays radiating from it; and the Moon, a headdress with a crescent attached. A diagram in Johannes Kamateros' 12th century Compendium of Astrology shows the Sun represented by the circle with a ray, Jupiter by the letter zeta (the initial of Zeus
, Jupiter's counterpart in Greek mythology
), Mars by a shield crossed by a spear, and the remaining classical planets by symbols resembling the modern ones, without the cross-mark seen in modern versions of the symbols.
The symbols for Uranus
were created shortly after its discovery. One symbol,
, invented by J. G. Köhler
and refined by Bode
, was intended to represent the newly discovered metal platinum
; since platinum, commonly called white gold, was found by chemists mixed with iron, the symbol for platinum combines the alchemical symbols for iron
, ♂, and gold
, ☉. Another symbol,
, was suggested by Lalande in 1784. In a letter to Herschel, Lalande described it as "un globe surmonté par la première lettre de votre nom" ("a globe surmounted by the first letter of your name").
Several symbols were proposed for Neptune
to accompany the suggested names for the planet. Claiming the right to name his discovery, Le Verrier originally proposed the name Neptune and the symbol of a trident
, while falsely stating that this had been officially approved by the French Bureau des Longitudes
. In October, he sought to name the planet Leverrier, after himself, and he had loyal support in this from the observatory director, François Arago
, who in turn proposed a new symbol for the planet . However, this suggestion met with stiff resistance outside France
. French almanacs quickly reintroduced the name Herschel for Uranus, after that planet's discoverer Sir William Herschel
, and Leverrier for the new planet. Professor James Pillans of the University of Edinburgh
defended the name Janus
for the new planet, and proposed a key for its symbol. Meanwhile, Struve
presented the name Neptune on December 29, 1846, to the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences
. In August 1847, the Bureau des Longitudes announced its decision to follow prevailing astronomical practice and adopt the choice of Neptune, with Arago refraining from participating in this decision.
The International Astronomical Union
discourages the use of these symbols in journal articles; however, the IAU Style Manual permits certain one- and (to disambiguate Mercury and Mars) two-letter abbreviations for the names of the planets for use in certain contexts, such as in the headings of tables.
's discovery of Ceres, a group of astronomers ratified the name, proposed by the discoverer, and chose the sickle as a symbol of the planet.
The symbol for 2 Pallas
, the spear of Pallas Athena
, was invented by Baron Franz Xaver von Zach, and introduced in his Monatliche correspondenz zur beförderung der erd- und himmels-kunde.
In a letter to von Zach, discoverer Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers
(who had named the newly-discovered asteroid) expressed his approval of the proposed symbol, but wished that the handle of the sickle of Ceres had been adorned with a pommel instead of a crossbar, to better differentiate it from the sign of Venus.
Karl Ludwig Harding
, who discovered and named 3 Juno
, assigned to it the symbol of a scepter topped with a star.
The symbol for 4 Vesta
was invented by German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss
. Dr. Olbers, having previously discovered and named one new planet (as the asteroids were then classified), gave Gauss the honor of naming his newest discovery. Gauss decided to name the planet for the goddess Vesta
, and also designed the symbol (
): the altar of the goddess, with the sacred fire
burning on it. Other contemporaneous sources use a more elaborate symbol instead.
The next two asteroids, 5 Astraea
and 6 Hebe
, were both discovered by Karl Ludwig Hencke
. Hencke requested that the symbol for 5 Astraea be an upside-down anchor; however, a pair of balances was sometimes used instead. Gauss named 6 Hebe at Hencke's request, and chose a wineglass
as the symbol.
As more new asteroids were discovered, astronomers continued to assign symbols to them. Thus 7 Iris
had for its symbol a rainbow with a star; 8 Flora
, a flower; 9 Metis
, an eye with a star; 10 Hygiea
, an upright snake with a star on its head; 11 Parthenope
, a standing fish with a star; 12 Victoria
, a star topped with a branch of laurel; 13 Egeria
, a buckler; 14 Irene
, a dove carrying an olive branch with a star on its head; 15 Eunomia
, a heart topped with a star; 16 Psyche
, a butterfly wing with a star; 17 Thetis
, a dolphin with a star; 18 Melpomene
, a dagger
over a star; and 19 Fortuna
, a star over Fortuna's wheel.
Johann Franz Encke
made a major change in the Berliner Astronomisches Jahrbuch (BAJ, Berlin Astronomical Yearbook) for the year 1854, published in 1851. He introduced encircled numbers instead of symbols, although his numbering began with Astraea
, the first four asteroids continuing to be denoted by their traditional symbols. This symbolic innovation was adopted very quickly by the astronomical community. The following year (1852), Astraea's number was bumped up to 5, but Ceres through Vesta would be listed by their numbers only in the 1867 edition. The circle later became a pair of parentheses, and the parentheses sometimes omitted altogether over the next few decades.
A few asteroids were given symbols by their discoverers after the encircled-number notation became widespread. 26 Proserpina
, 28 Bellona
, 35 Leukothea
, and 37 Fides
, all discovered by R. Luther
, were assigned, respectively, a pomegranate with a star inside; a whip and spear; an antique lighthouse; and a cross. 29 Amphitrite
, discovered by Albert Marth
, was assigned a shell for its symbol.
Pluto's name and symbol were announced by the discoverers on May 1, 1930. The symbol, a monogram of the letters PL, could be interpreted to stand for Pluto or for Percival Lowell, the astronomer who initiated the Lowell Observatory's search for a planet beyond the orbit of Neptune.
Lists of astronomical phenomena published by almanacs sometimes included conjunctions of stars and planets or the Moon; rather than print the full name of the star, a Greek letter and the symbol for the constellation of the star was sometimes used instead. In modern academic usage, all the constellations, including the twelve of the zodiac, have dedicated three-letter abbreviations.
In astronomy, a sign was a unit of arc measurement, now obsolete, equal to 30 degrees. Ecliptic longitude was thus measured in signs, degrees, minutes, and seconds. The sign component of this measurement was expressed either with a number from 0 to 11 or with the corresponding zodiac symbol.
The zodiac symbols are also sometimes used to represent points on the ecliptic, each symbol representing the "first point" of each sign; thus is the vernal equinox, is the summer solstice, etc.
appear in medieval texts, although medieval and modern usage of the node symbols differ; ☊ formerly stood for the descending node, and ☋ for the ascending node.
In describing the Keplerian elements of an orbit, ☊ is sometimes used to denote the ecliptic longitude
of the ascending node, although it is more common to use Ω (capital omega), which was originally a typographical substitute for the old symbol.
Of the symbols for the five Ptolemaic aspects, only the three displayed here—for conjunction, opposition, and quadrature—are used in astronomy.
In published astronomical observations of comets, ☄ stood for the comet being discussed and for the star of comparison relative to which measurements of the comet's position were made.
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
. The earliest forms of these symbols appear in Greek papyri
Papyrus
Papyrus is a thick paper-like material produced from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt....
of late antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
. The Byzantine codices
Codex
A codex is a book in the format used for modern books, with multiple quires or gatherings typically bound together and given a cover.Developed by the Romans from wooden writing tablets, its gradual replacement...
in which the Greek papyri were preserved continued and extended the inventory of astronomical symbols. New symbols were further invented to represent many just-discovered planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
s and minor planet
Minor planet
An asteroid group or minor-planet group is a population of minor planets that have a share broadly similar orbits. Members are generally unrelated to each other, unlike in an asteroid family, which often results from the break-up of a single asteroid...
s discovered in the 18th-20th centuries.
All these symbols were once commonly used by professional astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
s, amateur astronomers, and astrologer
Astrologer
An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. Typically an astrologer draws a horoscope for the time of an event, such as a person's birth, and interprets celestial points and their placements at the time of the event to better understand someone, determine the auspiciousness of an...
s. They are still used in almanacs and astrological publications, but with the exception of the Sun and Earth symbols they have fallen into disuse in published research and texts on astronomy.
Symbols for the Sun and Moon
The use of astronomical symbols for the Sun and Moon dates to antiquity. The forms of the symbols that appear in the original papyri of Greek horoscopes are a circle with one ray for the Sun and a crescent for the Moon. The modern sun symbol, a circle with a dot (☉), first appeared in Europe in the Renaissance, though it was also the ancient Chinese characterChinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
for "sun", which gave rise to the modern character 日.
In modern academic usage, the sun symbol is used for astronomical constants relating to the sun. The luminosity, mass, and radius of stars are often represented using the corresponding solar constants as units of measurement
Units of measurement
A unit of measurement is a definite magnitude of a physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention and/or by law, that is used as a standard for measurement of the same physical quantity. Any other value of the physical quantity can be expressed as a simple multiple of the unit of...
.
Sun |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Symbol | Unicode | Unicode Display | Symbol Represents |
| Sun Sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields... |
 |
#x2609; #9737; |
☉ | the Sun Solar symbol A solar symbol is a symbol which symbolises the Sun. Solar symbols can have significance in psychoanalysis, symbolism, semiotics, astrology, religion, mythology, mysticism, divination, heraldry, and vexillology, among other fields.Some solar symbols include:... |
| #x1f71a; #128794; |
🜚 | the Sun Solar symbol A solar symbol is a symbol which symbolises the Sun. Solar symbols can have significance in psychoanalysis, symbolism, semiotics, astrology, religion, mythology, mysticism, divination, heraldry, and vexillology, among other fields.Some solar symbols include:... with one ray |
||
| #x1f31e; #127774; |
🌞 | the face of the Sun Solar symbol A solar symbol is a symbol which symbolises the Sun. Solar symbols can have significance in psychoanalysis, symbolism, semiotics, astrology, religion, mythology, mysticism, divination, heraldry, and vexillology, among other fields.Some solar symbols include:... |
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Moon |
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| Name | Symbol | Unicode | Unicode Display | Symbol Represents |
| Moon Moon The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more... , or first-quarter moon |
 |
#x263d; #9789; |
☽ | an increscent moon |
| #x1f31b; #127771; |
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| full moon Full moon Full moon lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun.Lunar eclipses can only occur at... |
#x1f315; #127765; |
🌕 | ||
| #x1f31d; #127773; |
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| Moon, or last-quarter moon |  |
#x263e; #9790; |
☾ | a decrescent moon |
| #x1f31c; #127772; |
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| new moon New moon In astronomical terminology, the new moon is the lunar phase that occurs when the Moon, in its monthly orbital motion around Earth, lies between Earth and the Sun, and is therefore in conjunction with the Sun as seen from Earth... |
#x1f311; #127761; |
🌑 | ||
| #x1f31a; #127770; |
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Solar constants |
||
|---|---|---|
| Constant | Symbol | Value |
| Solar luminosity | L☉ | 3.839 W Watt The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:... , or 3.839 erg Erg An erg is the unit of energy and mechanical work in the centimetre-gram-second system of units, symbol "erg". Its name is derived from the Greek ergon, meaning "work".... /s |
| Solar mass Solar mass The solar mass , , is a standard unit of mass in astronomy, used to indicate the masses of other stars and galaxies... |
M☉ | 1.98892 kg Kilogram The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water... |
| Solar radius | R☉ | 6.955 m Metre The metre , symbol m, is the base unit of length in the International System of Units . Originally intended to be one ten-millionth of the distance from the Earth's equator to the North Pole , its definition has been periodically refined to reflect growing knowledge of metrology... |
| Solar effective temperature Effective temperature The effective temperature of a body such as a star or planet is the temperature of a black body that would emit the same total amount of electromagnetic radiation... |
Teff☉ | 5777 K Kelvin The kelvin is a unit of measurement for temperature. It is one of the seven base units in the International System of Units and is assigned the unit symbol K. The Kelvin scale is an absolute, thermodynamic temperature scale using as its null point absolute zero, the temperature at which all... |
Symbols for the planets
Symbols for the classical planets appear in the medieval Byzantine codices in which many ancient horoscopes were preserved. The written symbols for Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn have been traced to forms found in late Greek papyri. The symbols for Jupiter and Saturn are identified as monograms of the corresponding Greek names, and the symbol for Mercury is a stylized caduceus. A. S. D. Maunder finds antecedents of the planetary symbols in earlier sources, used to represent the gods associated with the classical planets. Bianchini's planispherePlanisphere
A planisphere is a star chart analog computing instrument in the form of two adjustable disks that rotate on a common pivot. It can be adjusted to display the visible stars for any time and date. It is an instrument to assist in learning how to recognize stars and constellations...
, produced in the 2nd century, shows Greek personifications of planetary gods charged with early versions of the planetary symbols: Mercury has a caduceus
Caduceus
The caduceus is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology. The same staff was also borne by heralds in general, for example by Iris, the messenger of Hera. It is a short staff entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings...
; Venus has, attached to her necklace, a cord connected to another necklace; Mars, a spear; Jupiter, a staff; Saturn, a scythe; the Sun, a circlet
Circlet
A circlet is a crown with neither arches nor a cap ....
with rays radiating from it; and the Moon, a headdress with a crescent attached. A diagram in Johannes Kamateros' 12th century Compendium of Astrology shows the Sun represented by the circle with a ray, Jupiter by the letter zeta (the initial of Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
, Jupiter's counterpart in Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
), Mars by a shield crossed by a spear, and the remaining classical planets by symbols resembling the modern ones, without the cross-mark seen in modern versions of the symbols.
The symbols for Uranus
Uranus
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It has the third-largest planetary radius and fourth-largest planetary mass in the Solar System. It is named after the ancient Greek deity of the sky Uranus , the father of Cronus and grandfather of Zeus...
were created shortly after its discovery. One symbol,
Johann Gottfried Koehler
Johann Gottfried Koehler was a German astronomer who discovered a number of nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies....
and refined by Bode
Johann Elert Bode
Johann Elert Bode was a German astronomer known for his reformulation and popularization of the Titius-Bode law. Bode determined the orbit of Uranus and suggested the planet's name.-Biography:...
, was intended to represent the newly discovered metal platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
; since platinum, commonly called white gold, was found by chemists mixed with iron, the symbol for platinum combines the alchemical symbols for iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, ♂, and gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, ☉. Another symbol,
Several symbols were proposed for Neptune
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun in the Solar System. Named for the Roman god of the sea, it is the fourth-largest planet by diameter and the third largest by mass. Neptune is 17 times the mass of Earth and is slightly more massive than its near-twin Uranus, which is 15 times...
to accompany the suggested names for the planet. Claiming the right to name his discovery, Le Verrier originally proposed the name Neptune and the symbol of a trident
Trident
A trident , also called a trishul or leister or gig, is a three-pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and was also a military weapon. Tridents are featured widely in mythical, historical and modern culture. The major Hindu god, Shiva the Destroyer and the sea god Poseidon or Neptune are...
, while falsely stating that this had been officially approved by the French Bureau des Longitudes
Bureau des Longitudes
The Bureau des Longitudes is a French scientific institution, founded by decree of 25 June 1795 and charged with the improvement of nautical navigation, standardisation of time-keeping, geodesy and astronomical observation. During the 19th century, it was responsible for synchronizing clocks...
. In October, he sought to name the planet Leverrier, after himself, and he had loyal support in this from the observatory director, François Arago
François Arago
François Jean Dominique Arago , known simply as François Arago , was a French mathematician, physicist, astronomer and politician.-Early life and work:...
, who in turn proposed a new symbol for the planet . However, this suggestion met with stiff resistance outside France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. French almanacs quickly reintroduced the name Herschel for Uranus, after that planet's discoverer Sir William Herschel
William Herschel
Sir Frederick William Herschel, KH, FRS, German: Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel was a German-born British astronomer, technical expert, and composer. Born in Hanover, Wilhelm first followed his father into the Military Band of Hanover, but emigrated to Britain at age 19...
, and Leverrier for the new planet. Professor James Pillans of the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
defended the name Janus
Janus
-General:*Janus , the two-faced Roman god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings, and endings*Janus , a moon of Saturn*Janus Patera, a shallow volcanic crater on Io, a moon of Jupiter...
for the new planet, and proposed a key for its symbol. Meanwhile, Struve
Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve
Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve was a Danish-Baltic German astronomer from a famous dynasty.-Life:...
presented the name Neptune on December 29, 1846, to the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....
. In August 1847, the Bureau des Longitudes announced its decision to follow prevailing astronomical practice and adopt the choice of Neptune, with Arago refraining from participating in this decision.
The International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
discourages the use of these symbols in journal articles; however, the IAU Style Manual permits certain one- and (to disambiguate Mercury and Mars) two-letter abbreviations for the names of the planets for use in certain contexts, such as in the headings of tables.
Planets |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | IAU Abbrev. | Symbol | Unicode | Unicode Display | Symbol Interpretation |
| Mercury Mercury (planet) Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits... |
Me |  |
#x263f; #9791; |
☿ | Mercury Mercury (mythology) Mercury was a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx , mercari , and merces... 's winged helmet and caduceus Caduceus The caduceus is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology. The same staff was also borne by heralds in general, for example by Iris, the messenger of Hera. It is a short staff entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings... , or the caduceus alone |
| Venus Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows... |
V |  |
#x2640; #9792; |
♀ | Venus Venus (mythology) Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex,sexual seduction and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths... ' hand mirror |
| Earth Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets... |
E |  |
#x1F728; #128808; |
⊕ | Globe with equator Equator An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass.... and a meridian Meridian (geography) A meridian is an imaginary line on the Earth's surface from the North Pole to the South Pole that connects all locations along it with a given longitude. The position of a point along the meridian is given by its latitude. Each meridian is perpendicular to all circles of latitude... |
 |
#x2641; #9793; |
♁ | a globus cruciger Globus cruciger The globus cruciger is an orb topped with a cross , a Christian symbol of authority used throughout the Middle Ages and even today on coins, iconography and royal regalia... , or an inverted symbol for Venus |
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| Mars Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance... |
Ma |  |
#x2642; #9794; |
♂ | Mars Mars (mythology) Mars was the Roman god of war and also an agricultural guardian, a combination characteristic of early Rome. He was second in importance only to Jupiter, and he was the most prominent of the military gods worshipped by the Roman legions... ' shield and spear |
| Jupiter Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,... |
J |  |
#x2643; #9795; |
♃ | Jupiter Jupiter (mythology) In ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon.... 's thunderbolt, an eagle, or the letter zeta Zeta -Science:* Zeta functions, in mathematics** Riemann zeta function* Zeta potential, the electrokinetic potential of a colloidal system* Tropical Storm Zeta , formed in December 2005 and lasting through January 2006* Z-pinch, in fusion power... or Z for Zeus Zeus In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus... , the Greek Interpretatio graeca Interpretatio graeca is a Latin term for the common tendency of ancient Greek writers to equate foreign divinities to members of their own pantheon. Herodotus, for example, refers to the ancient Egyptian gods Amon, Osiris and Ptah as "Zeus", "Dionysus" and "Hephaestus", respectively.-Roman... god analogous to Jupiter |
| Saturn Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,... |
S |  |
#x2644; #9796; |
♄ | Saturn Saturn (mythology) In ancient Roman religion and myth, Saturn was a major god presiding over agriculture and the harvest time. His reign was depicted as a Golden Age of abundance and peace by many Roman authors. In medieval times he was known as the Roman god of agriculture, justice and strength. He held a sickle in... 's sickle Sickle A sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a variously curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock . Sickles have also been used as weapons, either in their original form or in various derivations.The diversity of sickles that... or scythe Scythe A scythe is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass, or reaping crops. It was largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor machinery, but is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia. The Grim Reaper is often depicted carrying or wielding a scythe... |
| Uranus Uranus Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It has the third-largest planetary radius and fourth-largest planetary mass in the Solar System. It is named after the ancient Greek deity of the sky Uranus , the father of Cronus and grandfather of Zeus... |
U | |
#x26e2; #9954; |
⛢ | Platinum Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal... |
| |
#x2645; #9797; |
♅ | A globe surmounted by the letter H (for Herschel) | ||
| Neptune Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun in the Solar System. Named for the Roman god of the sea, it is the fourth-largest planet by diameter and the third largest by mass. Neptune is 17 times the mass of Earth and is slightly more massive than its near-twin Uranus, which is 15 times... |
N |  |
#x2646; #9798; |
♆ | Neptune's Neptune (mythology) Neptune was the god of water and the sea in Roman mythology and religion. He is analogous with, but not identical to, the Greek god Poseidon. In the Greek-influenced tradition, Neptune was the brother of Jupiter and Pluto, each of them presiding over one of the three realms of the universe,... trident Trident A trident , also called a trishul or leister or gig, is a three-pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and was also a military weapon. Tridents are featured widely in mythical, historical and modern culture. The major Hindu god, Shiva the Destroyer and the sea god Poseidon or Neptune are... |
| A globe surmounted by the letters LV (for Le Verrier) | |||||
Symbols for dwarf planets and asteroids
Shortly after Giuseppe PiazziGiuseppe Piazzi
Giuseppe Piazzi was an Italian Catholic priest of the Theatine order, mathematician, and astronomer. He was born in Ponte in Valtellina, and died in Naples. He established an observatory at Palermo, now the Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo – Giuseppe S...
's discovery of Ceres, a group of astronomers ratified the name, proposed by the discoverer, and chose the sickle as a symbol of the planet.
The symbol for 2 Pallas
2 Pallas
Pallas, formally designated 2 Pallas, is the second asteroid to have been discovered , and one of the largest. It is estimated to constitute 7% of the mass of the asteroid belt, and its diameter of 530–565 km is comparable to, or slightly larger than, that of 4 Vesta. It is however 20%...
, the spear of Pallas Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
, was invented by Baron Franz Xaver von Zach, and introduced in his Monatliche correspondenz zur beförderung der erd- und himmels-kunde.
In a letter to von Zach, discoverer Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers
Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers
Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers was a German physician and astronomer.-Life and career:Olbers was born in Arbergen, near Bremen, and studied to be a physician at Göttingen. After his graduation in 1780, he began practicing medicine in Bremen, Germany...
(who had named the newly-discovered asteroid) expressed his approval of the proposed symbol, but wished that the handle of the sickle of Ceres had been adorned with a pommel instead of a crossbar, to better differentiate it from the sign of Venus.
Karl Ludwig Harding
Karl Ludwig Harding
Karl Ludwig Harding was a German astronomer notable for having discovered the asteroid 3 Juno.-Biography:...
, who discovered and named 3 Juno
3 Juno
Juno , formal designation 3 Juno in the Minor Planet Center catalogue system, was the third asteroid to be discovered and is one of the larger main-belt asteroids, being one of the two largest stony asteroids, along with 15 Eunomia. Juno is estimated to contain 1% of the total mass of the asteroid...
, assigned to it the symbol of a scepter topped with a star.
The symbol for 4 Vesta
4 Vesta
Vesta, formally designated 4 Vesta, is one of the largest asteroids, with a mean diameter of about . It was discovered by Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers on March 29, 1807, and is named after the Roman virgin goddess of home and hearth, Vesta....
was invented by German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss
Carl Friedrich Gauss
Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss was a German mathematician and scientist who contributed significantly to many fields, including number theory, statistics, analysis, differential geometry, geodesy, geophysics, electrostatics, astronomy and optics.Sometimes referred to as the Princeps mathematicorum...
. Dr. Olbers, having previously discovered and named one new planet (as the asteroids were then classified), gave Gauss the honor of naming his newest discovery. Gauss decided to name the planet for the goddess Vesta
Vesta (mythology)
Vesta was the virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and family in Roman religion. Vesta's presence was symbolized by the sacred fire that burned at her hearth and temples...
, and also designed the symbol (
Sacred fire of Vesta
The sacred fire of Vesta was a holy fire in Ancient Rome. The Vestal Virgins were selected by lot and served for thirty years, tending the holy fire and performing other rituals connected to domestic life—among them were the ritual sweeping of the temple on June 15 and the preparation of...
burning on it. Other contemporaneous sources use a more elaborate symbol instead.
The next two asteroids, 5 Astraea
5 Astraea
5 Astraea is a large main-belt asteroid. Its surface is highly reflective and its composition is probably a mixture of nickel-iron with magnesium- and iron-silicates....
and 6 Hebe
6 Hebe
6 Hebe is a large main-belt asteroid, containing around half a percent of the mass of the belt. Its apparently high bulk density , however, means that by volume it does not rank among the top twenty asteroids...
, were both discovered by Karl Ludwig Hencke
Karl Ludwig Hencke
Karl Ludwig Hencke was a German amateur astronomer. He is sometimes confused with Johann Franz Encke, another German astronomer....
. Hencke requested that the symbol for 5 Astraea be an upside-down anchor; however, a pair of balances was sometimes used instead. Gauss named 6 Hebe at Hencke's request, and chose a wineglass
Hebe (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Hēbē is the goddess of youth . She is the daughter of Zeus and Hera. Hebe was the cupbearer for the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus, serving their nectar and ambrosia, until she was married to Heracles ; her successor was the young Trojan prince Ganymede...
as the symbol.
As more new asteroids were discovered, astronomers continued to assign symbols to them. Thus 7 Iris
7 Iris
7 Iris is a large main-belt asteroid. Among the S-type asteroids, it ranks fifth in geometric mean diameter after Eunomia, Juno, Amphitrite and Herculina....
had for its symbol a rainbow with a star; 8 Flora
8 Flora
8 Flora is a large, bright main-belt asteroid. It is the innermost large asteroid: no asteroid closer to the Sun has a diameter above 25 kilometres or two-elevenths that of Flora itself, and not until the tiny 149 Medusa was discovered was a single asteroid orbiting at a closer mean distance...
, a flower; 9 Metis
9 Metis
9 Metis is one of the larger main-belt asteroids. It is composed of silicates and metallic nickel-iron, and may be the core remnant of a large asteroid that was destroyed by an ancient collision...
, an eye with a star; 10 Hygiea
10 Hygiea
10 Hygiea is an asteroid located in the asteroid belt. With somewhat oblong diameters of 350–500 km, and a mass estimated to be 2.9% of the total mass of the belt, it is the fourth largest asteroid by volume and mass...
, an upright snake with a star on its head; 11 Parthenope
11 Parthenope
11 Parthenope is a large, bright main-belt asteroid.Parthenope was discovered by Annibale de Gasparis on May 11, 1850, the second of his nine asteroid discoveries. It was named after one of the Sirens in Greek mythology, said to have founded the city of Naples...
, a standing fish with a star; 12 Victoria
12 Victoria
12 Victoria is a large main-belt asteroid.It was discovered by J. R. Hind on September 13, 1850.Victoria is officially named after the Roman goddess of victory, but the name also honours Queen Victoria. The goddess Victoria was the daughter of Styx by the Titan Pallas...
, a star topped with a branch of laurel; 13 Egeria
13 Egeria
13 Egeria is a large main-belt G-type asteroid.It was discovered by A. de Gasparis on November 2, 1850, and was named by Urbain J. J. Le Verrier, whose computations led to the discovery of Neptune. Egeria was a goddess of Aricia, in Italy, and the wife of Numa Pompilius, second king of...
, a buckler; 14 Irene
14 Irene
14 Irene is a very large main-belt asteroid.14 Irene was discovered by J. R. Hind on May 19, 1851, and named after Eirene, a personification of peace in Greek mythology. She was one of the Horae, daughter of Zeus and Themis. The name was suggested by Sir John Herschel...
, a dove carrying an olive branch with a star on its head; 15 Eunomia
15 Eunomia
15 Eunomia is a very large asteroid in the inner asteroid belt. It is the largest of the stony asteroids, and somewhere between the 8th-to-12th-largest main-belt asteroid overall...
, a heart topped with a star; 16 Psyche
16 Psyche
16 Psyche )is one of the ten most massive main-belt asteroids. It is over 200 kilometers in diameter and contains a little less than 1% of the mass of the entire asteroid belt. It is the most massive of the metallic M-type asteroids....
, a butterfly wing with a star; 17 Thetis
17 Thetis
17 Thetis is a large main-belt asteroid. It is an S-type asteroid, therefore giving it a relatively bright silicate surface.It was discovered by R. Luther on April 17, 1852. It was his first asteroid discovery. Its name comes from Thetis, the mother of Achilles in Greek mythology.One Thetidian...
, a dolphin with a star; 18 Melpomene
18 Melpomene
18 Melpomene is a large, bright main-belt asteroid. It is composed of silicates and metals.It was discovered by J. R. Hind on June 24, 1852, and named after Melpomene, the Muse of tragedy in Greek mythology....
, a dagger
Melpomene
Melpomene , initially the Muse of Singing, she then became the Muse of Tragedy, for which she is best known now. Her name was derived from the Greek verb melpô or melpomai meaning "to celebrate with dance and song." She is often represented with a tragic mask and wearing the cothurnus, boots...
over a star; and 19 Fortuna
19 Fortuna
19 Fortuna is one of the largest main-belt asteroids. It has a composition similar to 1 Ceres: a darkly colored surface that is heavily space-weathered with the composition of primitive organic compounds, including tholins....
, a star over Fortuna's wheel.
Johann Franz Encke
Johann Franz Encke
Johann Franz Encke was a German astronomer. Among his activities, he worked on the calculation of the periods of comets and asteroids, measured the distance from the earth to the sun, and made observations on the planet Saturn.-Biography:Encke was born in Hamburg, where his father was a...
made a major change in the Berliner Astronomisches Jahrbuch (BAJ, Berlin Astronomical Yearbook) for the year 1854, published in 1851. He introduced encircled numbers instead of symbols, although his numbering began with Astraea
5 Astraea
5 Astraea is a large main-belt asteroid. Its surface is highly reflective and its composition is probably a mixture of nickel-iron with magnesium- and iron-silicates....
, the first four asteroids continuing to be denoted by their traditional symbols. This symbolic innovation was adopted very quickly by the astronomical community. The following year (1852), Astraea's number was bumped up to 5, but Ceres through Vesta would be listed by their numbers only in the 1867 edition. The circle later became a pair of parentheses, and the parentheses sometimes omitted altogether over the next few decades.
A few asteroids were given symbols by their discoverers after the encircled-number notation became widespread. 26 Proserpina
26 Proserpina
26 Proserpina is a main-belt asteroid.It was discovered by R. Luther on May 5, 1853.It is named after the Roman goddess Proserpina, the daughter of Ceres and the Queen of the Underworld.-References:...
, 28 Bellona
28 Bellona
28 Bellona is a large main-belt asteroid.Bellona was discovered by R. Luther on March 1, 1854. It is named after Bellona, the Roman goddess of war; the name was chosen to mark the beginning of the Crimean War.-External links:...
, 35 Leukothea
35 Leukothea
35 Leukothea is a large, dark main-belt asteroid.It was discovered by R. Luther on April 19, 1855, and named after Leukothea, a sea goddess in Greek mythology.-References:...
, and 37 Fides
37 Fides
37 Fides is a large main-belt asteroid.It was discovered by R. Luther on October 5, 1855, and named after Fides, the Roman goddess of loyalty.-References:...
, all discovered by R. Luther
Karl Theodor Robert Luther
Karl Theodor Robert Luther , normally published as Robert Luther, was a German astronomer who searched for asteroids while working in Düsseldorf....
, were assigned, respectively, a pomegranate with a star inside; a whip and spear; an antique lighthouse; and a cross. 29 Amphitrite
29 Amphitrite
29 Amphitrite is one of the largest S-type asteroids, probably third in diameter after Eunomia and Juno, although Iris and Herculina are similar in size.-Discovery:...
, discovered by Albert Marth
Albert Marth
Albert Marth was a German astronomer who worked in England and Ireland.He came to England in 1853 to work for George Bishop, a rich wine merchant and patron of astronomy. At that time, paid jobs in astronomy were quite rare....
, was assigned a shell for its symbol.
Pluto's name and symbol were announced by the discoverers on May 1, 1930. The symbol, a monogram of the letters PL, could be interpreted to stand for Pluto or for Percival Lowell, the astronomer who initiated the Lowell Observatory's search for a planet beyond the orbit of Neptune.
Dwarf planets |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Symbol | Unicode | Unicode Display | Symbol Represents |
| Ceres |  |
#x26b3; #9907; |
⚳ | a handle-down sickle; cf. the handle-up sickle symbol of Saturn |
| Pluto Pluto Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun... |
 |
#x2647; #9799; |
♇ | PL monogram Monogram A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series of uncombined initials is properly referred to as a... for Pluto and Percival Lowell Percival Lowell Percival Lawrence Lowell was a businessman, author, mathematician, and astronomer who fueled speculation that there were canals on Mars, founded the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and formed the beginning of the effort that led to the discovery of Pluto 14 years after his death... |
Asteroids |
||||
| Name | Symbol | Unicode | Unicode Display | Symbol Represents |
| 2 Pallas 2 Pallas Pallas, formally designated 2 Pallas, is the second asteroid to have been discovered , and one of the largest. It is estimated to constitute 7% of the mass of the asteroid belt, and its diameter of 530–565 km is comparable to, or slightly larger than, that of 4 Vesta. It is however 20%... |
 |
#x26b4; #9908; |
⚴ | a spear |
| 3 Juno 3 Juno Juno , formal designation 3 Juno in the Minor Planet Center catalogue system, was the third asteroid to be discovered and is one of the larger main-belt asteroids, being one of the two largest stony asteroids, along with 15 Eunomia. Juno is estimated to contain 1% of the total mass of the asteroid... |
 |
#x26b5; #9909; |
⚵ | a scepter topped with a star |
| 4 Vesta 4 Vesta Vesta, formally designated 4 Vesta, is one of the largest asteroids, with a mean diameter of about . It was discovered by Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers on March 29, 1807, and is named after the Roman virgin goddess of home and hearth, Vesta.... |
|
|
⚶ | an altar with fire on it |
| 5 Astraea 5 Astraea 5 Astraea is a large main-belt asteroid. Its surface is highly reflective and its composition is probably a mixture of nickel-iron with magnesium- and iron-silicates.... |
 |
an anchor | ||
| a pair of balances | ||||
| 6 Hebe 6 Hebe 6 Hebe is a large main-belt asteroid, containing around half a percent of the mass of the belt. Its apparently high bulk density , however, means that by volume it does not rank among the top twenty asteroids... |
 |
a wineglass | ||
| 7 Iris 7 Iris 7 Iris is a large main-belt asteroid. Among the S-type asteroids, it ranks fifth in geometric mean diameter after Eunomia, Juno, Amphitrite and Herculina.... |
 |
a rainbow Iris (mythology) In Greek mythology, Iris is the personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods. As the sun unites Earth and heaven, Iris links the gods to humanity... with a star inside it |
||
| 8 Flora 8 Flora 8 Flora is a large, bright main-belt asteroid. It is the innermost large asteroid: no asteroid closer to the Sun has a diameter above 25 kilometres or two-elevenths that of Flora itself, and not until the tiny 149 Medusa was discovered was a single asteroid orbiting at a closer mean distance... |
 |
#x2698; #9880; |
a flower Flora (mythology) In Roman mythology, Flora was a goddess of flowers and the season of spring. While she was otherwise a relatively minor figure in Roman mythology, being one among several fertility goddesses, her association with the spring gave her particular importance at the coming of springtime... |
|
| 9 Metis 9 Metis 9 Metis is one of the larger main-belt asteroids. It is composed of silicates and metallic nickel-iron, and may be the core remnant of a large asteroid that was destroyed by an ancient collision... |
 |
an eye with a star above it | ||
| 10 Hygeia | a serpent with a star | |||
 |
#x2695; #9877; |
Rod of Asclepius Rod of Asclepius The rod of Asclepius , also known as the asklepian, is an ancient symbol associated with astrology, the Greek god Asclepius, and with medicine and healing. It consists of a serpent entwined around a staff. The name of the symbol derives from its early and widespread association with Asclepius, the... |
||
| 11 Parthenope 11 Parthenope 11 Parthenope is a large, bright main-belt asteroid.Parthenope was discovered by Annibale de Gasparis on May 11, 1850, the second of his nine asteroid discoveries. It was named after one of the Sirens in Greek mythology, said to have founded the city of Naples... |
 |
a fish with a star | ||
| a harp | ||||
| 12 Victoria 12 Victoria 12 Victoria is a large main-belt asteroid.It was discovered by J. R. Hind on September 13, 1850.Victoria is officially named after the Roman goddess of victory, but the name also honours Queen Victoria. The goddess Victoria was the daughter of Styx by the Titan Pallas... |
 |
a star with a branch of laurel | ||
| 13 Egeria 13 Egeria 13 Egeria is a large main-belt G-type asteroid.It was discovered by A. de Gasparis on November 2, 1850, and was named by Urbain J. J. Le Verrier, whose computations led to the discovery of Neptune. Egeria was a goddess of Aricia, in Italy, and the wife of Numa Pompilius, second king of... |
a buckler | |||
| 14 Irene 14 Irene 14 Irene is a very large main-belt asteroid.14 Irene was discovered by J. R. Hind on May 19, 1851, and named after Eirene, a personification of peace in Greek mythology. She was one of the Horae, daughter of Zeus and Themis. The name was suggested by Sir John Herschel... |
a dove carrying an olive-branch in its mouth and a star on its head | |||
| 15 Eunomia 15 Eunomia 15 Eunomia is a very large asteroid in the inner asteroid belt. It is the largest of the stony asteroids, and somewhere between the 8th-to-12th-largest main-belt asteroid overall... |
 |
a heart with a star on top | ||
| 16 Psyche 16 Psyche 16 Psyche )is one of the ten most massive main-belt asteroids. It is over 200 kilometers in diameter and contains a little less than 1% of the mass of the entire asteroid belt. It is the most massive of the metallic M-type asteroids.... |
a butterfly's wing and a star | |||
| 17 Thetis 17 Thetis 17 Thetis is a large main-belt asteroid. It is an S-type asteroid, therefore giving it a relatively bright silicate surface.It was discovered by R. Luther on April 17, 1852. It was his first asteroid discovery. Its name comes from Thetis, the mother of Achilles in Greek mythology.One Thetidian... |
a dolphin and a star | |||
| 18 Melpomene 18 Melpomene 18 Melpomene is a large, bright main-belt asteroid. It is composed of silicates and metals.It was discovered by J. R. Hind on June 24, 1852, and named after Melpomene, the Muse of tragedy in Greek mythology.... |
a dagger over a star | |||
| 19 Fortuna 19 Fortuna 19 Fortuna is one of the largest main-belt asteroids. It has a composition similar to 1 Ceres: a darkly colored surface that is heavily space-weathered with the composition of primitive organic compounds, including tholins.... |
a star over a wheel | |||
| 26 Proserpina 26 Proserpina 26 Proserpina is a main-belt asteroid.It was discovered by R. Luther on May 5, 1853.It is named after the Roman goddess Proserpina, the daughter of Ceres and the Queen of the Underworld.-References:... |
a pomegranate with a star inside it | |||
| 28 Bellona 28 Bellona 28 Bellona is a large main-belt asteroid.Bellona was discovered by R. Luther on March 1, 1854. It is named after Bellona, the Roman goddess of war; the name was chosen to mark the beginning of the Crimean War.-External links:... |
 |
Bellona's whip and spear | ||
| 29 Amphitrite 29 Amphitrite 29 Amphitrite is one of the largest S-type asteroids, probably third in diameter after Eunomia and Juno, although Iris and Herculina are similar in size.-Discovery:... |
a shell | |||
| 35 Leukothea 35 Leukothea 35 Leukothea is a large, dark main-belt asteroid.It was discovered by R. Luther on April 19, 1855, and named after Leukothea, a sea goddess in Greek mythology.-References:... |
 |
an ancient lighthouse | ||
| 37 Fides 37 Fides 37 Fides is a large main-belt asteroid.It was discovered by R. Luther on October 5, 1855, and named after Fides, the Roman goddess of loyalty.-References:... |
 |
a dagger | ||
Symbols for zodiac constellations and signs
Depending on context, a zodiac symbol may denote a constellation, a sign, or a point.Lists of astronomical phenomena published by almanacs sometimes included conjunctions of stars and planets or the Moon; rather than print the full name of the star, a Greek letter and the symbol for the constellation of the star was sometimes used instead. In modern academic usage, all the constellations, including the twelve of the zodiac, have dedicated three-letter abbreviations.
In astronomy, a sign was a unit of arc measurement, now obsolete, equal to 30 degrees. Ecliptic longitude was thus measured in signs, degrees, minutes, and seconds. The sign component of this measurement was expressed either with a number from 0 to 11 or with the corresponding zodiac symbol.
The zodiac symbols are also sometimes used to represent points on the ecliptic, each symbol representing the "first point" of each sign; thus is the vernal equinox, is the summer solstice, etc.
Zodiac |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | IAU Abbrev. | Signs | Degrees | Symbol | Translation | Unicode Display | Unicode |
| Aries Aries (constellation) Aries is one of the constellations of the zodiac, located between Pisces to the west and Taurus to the east. Its name is Latin for ram, and its symbol is , representing a ram's horns... |
Ari | 0 | 0° |  |
ram | #x2648; #9800; |
|
| Taurus Taurus (constellation) Taurus is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is a Latin word meaning 'bull', and its astrological symbol is a stylized bull's head:... |
Tau | 1 | 30° |  |
bull | #x2649; #9801; |
|
| Gemini Gemini (constellation) Gemini is one of the constellations of the zodiac. It was one of the 48 constellations described by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today. Its name is Latin for "twins", and it is associated with the twins Castor and Pollux in Greek mythology... |
Gem | 2 | 60° |  |
twins | #x264a; #9802; |
|
| Cancer Cancer (constellation) Cancer is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for crab and it is commonly represented as such. Its symbol is . Cancer is small and its stars are faint... |
Cnc | 3 | 90° |  |
crab | #x264b; #9803; |
|
| Leo Leo (constellation) Leo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for lion. Its symbol is . Leo lies between dim Cancer to the west and Virgo to the east.-Stars:... |
Leo | 4 | 120° |  |
lion | #x264c; #9804; |
|
| Virgo Virgo (constellation) Virgo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for virgin, and its symbol is . Lying between Leo to the west and Libra to the east, it is the second largest constellation in the sky... |
Vir | 5 | 150° |  |
virgin | #x264d; #9805; |
|
| Libra Libra (constellation) Libra is a constellation of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for weighing scales, and its symbol is . It is fairly faint, with no first magnitude stars, and lies between Virgo to the west and Scorpius to the east.-Notable features:]... |
Lib | 6 | 180° |  |
scale | #x264e; #9806; |
|
| Scorpius Scorpius Scorpius, sometimes known as Scorpio, is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for scorpion, and its symbol is . It lies between Libra to the west and Sagittarius to the east... |
Sco | 7 | 210° |  |
scorpion | #x264f; #9807; |
|
| Sagittarius Sagittarius (constellation) Sagittarius is a constellation of the zodiac, the one containing the galactic center. Its name is Latin for the archer, and its symbol is , a stylized arrow. Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur drawing a bow... |
Sgr | 8 | 240° |  |
archer | #x2650; #9808; |
|
| Capricornus Capricornus Capricornus is one of the constellations of the zodiac; it is often called Capricorn, especially when referring to the corresponding astrological sign. Its name is Latin for "horned male goat" or "goat horn", and it is commonly represented in the form of a sea-goat: a mythical creature that is half... |
Cap | 9 | 270° |  |
sea-goat | #x2651; #9809; |
|
| Aquarius Aquarius (constellation) Aquarius is a constellation of the zodiac, situated between Capricornus and Pisces. Its name is Latin for "water-bearer" or "cup-bearer", and its symbol is , a representation of water.... |
Aqr | 10 | 300° |  |
waterbearer | #x2652; #9810; |
|
| Pisces Pisces (constellation) Pisces is a constellation of the zodiac. Its name is the Latin plural for fish, and its symbol is . It lies between Aquarius to the west and Aries to the east... |
Psc | 11 | 330° |  |
fish | #x2653; #9811; |
|
Other symbols
Symbols for aspects and nodesOrbital node
An orbital node is one of the two points where an orbit crosses a plane of reference to which it is inclined. An orbit which is contained in the plane of reference has no nodes.-Planes of reference:...
appear in medieval texts, although medieval and modern usage of the node symbols differ; ☊ formerly stood for the descending node, and ☋ for the ascending node.
In describing the Keplerian elements of an orbit, ☊ is sometimes used to denote the ecliptic longitude
Ecliptic coordinate system
The ecliptic coordinate system is a celestial coordinate system that uses the ecliptic for its fundamental plane. The ecliptic is the path that the sun appears to follow across the celestial sphere over the course of a year. It is also the intersection of the Earth's orbital plane and the celestial...
of the ascending node, although it is more common to use Ω (capital omega), which was originally a typographical substitute for the old symbol.
Of the symbols for the five Ptolemaic aspects, only the three displayed here—for conjunction, opposition, and quadrature—are used in astronomy.
In published astronomical observations of comets, ☄ stood for the comet being discussed and for the star of comparison relative to which measurements of the comet's position were made.
| Other symbols | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Symbol | Unicode | Unicode Display | Symbol Represents |
| ascending node Orbital node An orbital node is one of the two points where an orbit crosses a plane of reference to which it is inclined. An orbit which is contained in the plane of reference has no nodes.-Planes of reference:... |
 |
#x260a; #9738; |
☊ | |
| descending node Orbital node An orbital node is one of the two points where an orbit crosses a plane of reference to which it is inclined. An orbit which is contained in the plane of reference has no nodes.-Planes of reference:... |
 |
#x260b; #9739; |
☋ | |
| conjunction | #x260c; #9740; |
☌ | ||
| opposition | #x260d; #9741; |
☍ | ||
| quadrature Quadrature (astronomy) In astronomy, quadrature is that aspect of a heavenly body in which it makes a right angle with the direction of the Sun. It is applied especially to the apparent position of a superior planet, or of the Moon at first and last quarters.... |
#x25a1; #9633; |
□ | ||
| comet Comet A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet... |
#x2604; #9732; |
☄ | ||
| star Star A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth... |
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