Astronomical symbol
Astronomical symbols are used to represent a variety of celestial bodies and observed astronomical events.
use
The symbols listed here are mainly used in astronomy . Many of them can also be found in western astrology , which sometimes uses different forms.
In alchemy , the known seven metals were associated with the seven planets ( planetary metals ) and days of the week . Even in Renaissance diaries (e.g. Vitus Bering's ship's diary) and 18th century diaries (e.g. a construction diary of the Wilsnack estate from 1724) these symbols are often used in the dates for the days of the week.
Heavenly bodies
Surname | symbol |
Unicode - characters * |
meaning |
---|---|---|---|
Mercury | U + 263F mercury : ☿ | Mercury's winged helmet and cadre ; Mercury , Wednesday | |
Venus | U + 2640 female sign : ♀ | Hand mirror of Venus (see: Venus symbol ); Copper , Friday | |
earth | U + 1F728 alchemical symbol for verdigris : ? | Globe with equator and the prime meridian | |
U + 2641 earth : ♁ ** | Globe with attached cross ( orb ), mirrored Venus symbol; Antimony (see: ♁ ) | ||
Mars | U + 2642 male sign : ♂ | Shield and spear of Mars (see: Mars symbol ), iron , Tuesday | |
Jupiter | U + 2643 jupiter : ♃ | Jupiter's lightning bolt or eagle ; Tin , Thursday | |
Saturn | U + 2644 saturn : ♄ | Saturn's sickle or scythe ; Lead , Saturday | |
Uranus | U + 26E2 astronomical symbol for uranus : ⛢ | One of the two alchemical symbols for platinum, or a combination of the symbols for Mars and Sun | |
U + 2645 uranus : ♅ | "H" by the last name of the discoverer ( Wilhelm Herschel ), is almost exclusively in the astrology used | ||
Neptune | U + 2646 neptune : ♆ | Neptune's trident | |
U + 2BC9 neptune form two : ⯉ | "LV" from the discoverer's surname ( Le Verrier ) was used almost exclusively in French literature |
Surname | symbol |
Unicode - characters * |
meaning |
---|---|---|---|
(1) Ceres | U + 26B3 ceres : ⚳ | Sickle; see. Crescent symbol of Saturn | |
(134340) Pluto | U + 2647 pluto : ♇ | "PL" for Pluto or Percival Lowell | |
U + 2BD3 pluto form two : ⯓ | Another Pluto symbol of some astrologers |
Surname | symbol |
Unicode - characters * |
meaning |
---|---|---|---|
(2) Pallas | U + 26B4 pallas : ⚴ | Modified Venus symbol or shield of Athena ? | |
(3) Juno | U + 26B5 juno : ⚵ | Peacock (symbol of Juno ) | |
(4) Vesta | U + 26B6 vesta : ⚶ | Hearth fire | |
similar to U + 2656 white chess rook : ♖ | Fire altar | ||
similar to U + 25AD white rectangle : ▭ | |||
(5) Astraea | similar to U + 2693 anchor : ⚓ | Anchor of Justice | |
similar to U + 2696 scales : ⚖ | Scales of justice | ||
(6) Lift | similar to U + 1F377 wine glass : ?︎ | Chalice , wine glass | |
(7) Iris | similar to U + 2313 segment : ⌓ | Rainbow with a star inside | |
(8) flora | similar to U + 2698 flower : ⚘ | Stylized flower | |
(9) Metis | similar to U + 1F441 eye : ? | Eye under a star | |
(10) Hygiea | similar to U + 2695 staff of aesculapius : ⚕ | Staff of Aesculapius | |
Snake with star ( hexagram ) | |||
(11) Parthenope | similar to U + 1F397 reminder ribbon : ? | Set up fish with a star | |
similar to U + 2656 white chess rook : ♖ | harp | ||
(12) Victoria | similar to U + 26E7 inverted pentagram : ⛧ | Laurel branch over a star (inverted pentagram ) "a star with a laurel branch" | |
(13) Egeria | similar to U + 1F6E1 shield : ? | Shield (actually a buckler ) with star (inverted hexagram ) | |
(14) Irene | similar to U + 1F54A dove of peace : ? or U + 1315B egyptian hieroglyph g024 : ? | Is described as " dove with olive branch and star" | |
(15) Eunomia | similar to U + 2661 white heart suit : ♡ | Elongated white heart under a star (inverted hexagram ) | |
(16) psyche | similar to U + 2313 segment : ⌓ | Butterfly wings under a star (upside down hexagram ) | |
(17) Thetis | similar to U + 223F sine wave : ∿ | Dolphin and star "which suggests the dolphin, sacred to the silver-footed goddess" | |
(18) Melpomene | similar to U + 2667 white club suit : ♧ or U + 2670 west syriac cross : ♰ | Shamrock- shaped dagger or cross over a star (inverted hexagram ) | |
(19) Fortuna | similar to U + 2638 wheel of dharma : ☸ | Wheel under a star (upside down hexagram ) | |
(26) Proserpine | similar to U + 235F apl functional symbol circle star : ⍟ | Pomegranate with a star ( hexagram ) inside | |
(28) Bellona | similar to U + 2224 does not divide : ∤ | Scourge and spear of the goddess Bellona (martial sister of Mars ) | |
(29) Amphitrite | similar to U + 262A star and crescent : ☪ | Crescent moon with star (inverted hexagram ) in horizontal form | |
(35) Leukothea | similar to U + FF62 halfwidth left corner bracket : 「 | " Lighthouse in ancient form" | |
(37) Fides | similar to U + 2722 four teardrop-spoked asterisk : ✢ and U + 271D latin cross : † | "Sign of a cross ", in the original print with round and teardrop-shaped widened ends | |
(2060) Chiron | U + 26B7 chiron : ⚷ | turned key; is used by some astrologers and was standardized as a Unicode symbol on this basis , without any official status attributed to it by an astronomical organization |
* The Unicode characters may not be displayed correctly depending on the character set used. In this case a Unicode-compatible character set should be used. The characters for Ceres, Pallas, Juno, Vesta and Chiron were only integrated in Unicode 5.1 (April 2008) in the Miscellaneous Symbols block under Astrological symbols; A current Unicode 5.1-compatible character set is required for the display.
Surname | symbol |
Unicode - characters * |
meaning |
---|---|---|---|
Waxing crescent moon | U + 263D first quarter moon : ☽ |
Waxing moon (as seen from north of earth); Silver , Monday ; New light in the days shortly after the new moon; Lunar or solar eclipse |
|
Increasing crescent | U + 1F313 first quarter moon symbol : ? | First quarter | |
Increasing Moon | U + 1F314 waxing gibbous moon symbol : ? | increasing Moon | |
Full moon | U + 1F315 full moon symbol : ? or U + 26AA medium white circle : ⚪ |
Second quarter |
|
Waning moon | U + 1F316 waning gibbous moon symbol : ? | waning moon | |
Waning crescent | U + 1F317 last quarter moon symbol : ? | Last quarter | |
Waning crescent moon | U + 263E last quarter moon : ☾ |
Moon (the celestial body); Waning moon ; Old light in the days shortly before the new moon; Lunar or solar eclipse |
|
new moon | U + 1F311 new moon symbol : ? or
U + 26AB medium black circle : ⚫ |
Solar eclipse | |
Rising moon | Moonship; Harvest moon; Day arc of the moon increases (obsessively) is used almost exclusively by astrologers |
||
Falling moon | Standing crescent moon ; Plant moon; Day arc of the moon is getting lower (nozing); (compare solstice and equinox ) |
||
"Black Moon" Lilith | U + 26B8 black moon lilith : ⚸ | in astrology for Lilith as the "black moon" (today equated with the apogee or the second focal point of the elliptical lunar orbit) |
Surname | symbol |
Unicode - characters * |
TeX | meaning |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sun | U + 2609 sun : ☉ | \odot |
Sun symbol ; Gold , sunday | |
star | U + 2731 heavy asterisk : ✱ | Fixed star | ||
comet | U + 2604 comet : ☄ | Comet; Tail star |
Constellations
Surname | symbol |
Unicode - characters * |
meaning |
---|---|---|---|
Aries | U + 2648 aries : ♈ or ♈︎ | In astronomy, specifically denotes the middle spring equinox ( Aries point , First point of Aries ) | |
bull | U + 2649 taurus : ♉ or ♉︎ | ||
Twins | U + 264A gemini : ♊ or ♊︎ | ||
cancer | U + 264B cancer : ♋ or ♋︎ | In astronomy, specifically denotes the mid-summer solstitium (point of the solstice) | |
lion | U + 264C leo : ♌ or ♌︎ | ||
Virgin | U + 264D virgo : ♍ or ♍︎ | ||
Libra | U + 264E libra : ♎ or ♎︎ | In astronomy, specifically denotes the mean autumn equinox ( balance point ) | |
Scorpio | U + 264F scorpius : ♏ or ♏︎ | ||
Snake bearer | U + 26CE ophiuchus : ⛎ | ||
Sagittarius | U + 2650 sagittarius : ♐ or ♐︎ | ||
Capricorn | U + 2651 capricorn : ♑ or ♑︎ | In astronomy, it specifically refers to the middle winter solstitium (point of the solstice) | |
Aquarius | U + 2652 aquarius : ♒ or ♒︎ | ||
fishes | U + 2653 pisces : ♓ or ♓︎ |
Aspects
Surname | symbol |
Unicode - characters * |
meaning |
---|---|---|---|
Ascending node | U + 260A ascending node : ☊ | ||
Descending node | U + 260B descending node : ☋ | ||
conjunction | U + 260C conjunction : ☌ | ||
opposition | U + 260D opposition : ☍ | ||
quadrature | U + 25A1 white square : □ | ||
Trine (astrology) | U + 25B3 white up-pointing triangle : △ | ||
Sextile | U + 26B9 sextile : ⚹ | ||
Quinkunx (astrology) | U + 26BB quincunx : ⚻ | ||
Semisextile (astrology) | U + 26BA semisextile : ⚺ | ||
Half square (astrology) | U + 2220 angle : ∠ | ||
Square and a half (astrology) | U + 26BC sesquiquadrate : ⚼ | ||
Quintile (astrology) | U + 0051 latin capital letter q : Q | ||
Biquintil (astrology) | similar to U + 266D music flat sign : ♭ and
U + 0051 latin capital letter q : Q |
** Depending on the character set used, the character U + 2641 is displayed as or .
New designs
Most dwarf planets and all moons except Earth have no official or commonly used astronomical symbols. The same applies to the constellations , with the exception of the signs of the zodiac .
Various proposals are being discussed for the dwarf planet (136199) Eris , which was celebrated as the “tenth planet” when it was discovered in 2005, in particular:
There are suggestions from individuals for new symbols for other objects, but there is no general interest among users.
Web links
- James L. Hilton: When Did the Asteroids Become Minor Planets? (accessed April 10, 2013; contains astronomical symbols for asteroids)
Individual evidence
- ^ Johann Franz Encke : Berlin Astronomical Yearbook for 1853 . Berlin 1850, p. VIII
- ^ A b John Russell Hind : An astronomical vocabulary . London 1852, p. 6
- ↑ Conversations-Lexikon , 10th edition, FA Brockhaus 1854, Volume 12, entry “Planets”, p. 175, view in the Google book search
- ^ Karl Theodor Robert Luther : Observations of Thetis at the Bilker observatory, by Director Luther (dated May 4, 1852). In: Astronomische Nachrichten , Volume 34, Altona 1852, Column 243/244
- ^ Karl Theodor Robert Luther: Observations of the newest planet at the Bilker observatory . In: Astronomische Nachrichten , Volume 36, Altona 1853, Column 349/350
- ^ Karl Theodor Robert Luther: Observation of the Bellona, along with news about the Bilker observatory (dated March 9, 1854). In: Astronomische Nachrichten , Volume 38, Altona 1854, Column 143/144
- ^ Name and symbols of the planet discovered by Mr. R. Luther zu Bilk on April 19th . In: Astronomische Nachrichten , Volume 40, Altona 1855, Column 373/374
- ↑ Letter from Dr. R. Luther, Directors of the Bilk Observatory, to the editor (dated October 11, 1855). In: Astronomische Nachrichten , Volume 42, Altona 1856, Column 107/108
- ↑ a b c David Faulks: Proposal to add some Western Astrology Symbols to the UCS. (PDF) In: Unicode Technical Committee Document No. L2 / 06-171. ISO / IEC JTC1 / SC2 / WG2, May 9, 2006, accessed March 8, 2015 .
- ↑ Gardening with the moon. Hauenstein AG, Nurseries & Garden Center, accessed on June 15, 2015 .
- ↑ Zane B. Stein: Chiron and Friends - Eris. Retrieved May 30, 2015 . (Website of an American astrologer)
- ↑ Example of a private website with a collection of symbol designs: Denis Moskowitz: New Astro Symbols. April 13, 2014, accessed May 19, 2015 .