Astronomical symbols
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Astronomical symbols are symbols used to represent various celestial objects, theoretical constructs and observational events in astronomy. Many of the symbols are shared with astrology. The symbols listed here are commonly used by professional and amateur astronomers, and some are shared with astrology though there are differences depending on what part of the world you are in. (European glyphs differ slightly from American, for example)
Miscellaneous symbols
| name | symbol | Unicode |
|---|---|---|
| comet | ☄ | U+2604 |
| Sun | ☉ | U+2609 |
| ascending node | ☊ | U+260A |
| descending node | ☋ | U+260B |
| conjunction | ☌ | U+260C |
| opposition | ☍ | U+260D |
Symbols of planets
| name | symbol | Unicode | image | Represented by image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| first quarter Moon | ☽ | U+263D | crescent moon (increscent) | |
| last quarter Moon | ☾ | U+263E | crescent moon (decrescent) | |
| Mercury | ☿ | U+263F |
| Mercury's winged helmet and caduceus |
| Venus | ♀ | U+2640 |
| Venus' hand mirror |
| Earth | ⊕ | U+2295 |
| globe with equator and a meridian |
| Mars | ♂ | U+2642 |
| Mars' shield and spear |
| Jupiter | ♃ | U+2643 | Jupiter's thunderbolt or eagle | |
| Saturn | ♄ | U+2644 | Saturn's sickle or scythe | |
| Uranus | ♅ | U+2645 | H for William Herschel | |
| Neptune | ♆ | U+2646 | Neptune's trident | |
| Pluto | ♇ | U+2647 | PL monogram for Pluto and Percival Lowell |
An [image] of these symbols is available from NASA.
Zodiacal symbols
| name | translation | symbol | Unicode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | ram | ♈ | U+2648 |
| Taurus | bull | ♉ | U+2649 |
| Gemini | twins | ♊ | U+264A |
| Cancer | crab | ♋ | U+264B |
| Leo | lion | ♌ | U+264C |
| Virgo | virgin | ♍ | U+264D |
| Libra | scale | ♎ | U+264E |
| Scorpio | scorpion | ♏ | U+264F |
| Sagittarius | archer | ♐ | U+2650 |
| Capricorn | sea-goat | ♑ | U+2651 |
| Aquarius | waterbearer | ♒ | U+2652 |
| Pisces | fish | ♓ | U+2653 |
See also
External links
- [When did Asteroids become Minor Planets?]
- [Early Astrological Glyphs from a 10th century manuscript]
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