Aries also called the Ram is the first constellation of the zodiac located along the ecliptic between

Pisces to the East and Taurus to the West. Aries may be seen in the Northern Hemisphere during the late winter and early spring. This tiny, faint constellation is seen just north of the ecliptic. The brightest star in Aries is Hamal, Arabic for Lamb. Cancer or sometimes called the Crab is a constellation of the zodiac that is shaped like a crab. This dim constellation, the faintest of the entire Zodiac, contains no stars brighter than fourth magnitude, none of which can be seen by the naked eye. Cancer is seen along the ecliptic and is located between Leo and Gemini.

Leo or the Lion is a constellation of the zodiac that is shaped like a lion. Leo is seen along the Milky Way in the Northern Hemisphere along the ecliptic between Virgo and Cancer. The brightest star in Leo, is Regulus meaning "little king" which is the heart of Leo. The second-brightest star, is Denebola meaning "tail of the lion", and the third-brightest star, is Algieba meaning "forehead".

Aquarius is a constellation best seen in the fall and is situated between the zodiac constellations of Pisces and Capricorn. The main shape of Aquarius consists of a boy or man holding a water jar from which water is pouring out. Aquarius is one of the oldest of the recognized constellations along the zodiac.

Capricornus or Capricorn or the Goat is the tenth constellation of the zodiac. Capricornus is a Latin word which literally means horned male goat or horned goat. It resembles a sea-goat whose upper body looks like a goat while the lower body is shaped like a fish. Capricorn is seen along the ecliptic between Sagittarius and Aquarius.
To the ancients, it represented a centaur or a halfman, half-horse archer who was aiming its bow at Scorpio (the next constellation) which bit Orion (the Hunter). Its central section or the archer's chest also

resembles a teapot. The center of the Milky Way Galaxy is in the direction of Sagittarius.

Pisces called the Fish is a faint equatorial constellation of the zodiac. It is considered last of all the constellations. Pisces is seen along the ecliptic between Aries and Aquarius. The constellation of Pisces can be found rising in the evening sky in fall. Eta Piscium is the brightest star in the constellation Pisces.
Libra / the Balance or Scales is seen along the ecliptic between Virgo and Scorpio. Libra is fairly faint considering that it has no first magnitude star. In the Northern Hemisphere, Libra is best viewed in the spring months. Libra was once part of the constellation Virgo and then became a part of the claws of Scorpio. As the newest zodiac constellation, Libra is the only one of the twelve zodiacs on the ecliptic that is not named for a living creature. The Scales are

used to symbolize balance or the weighing of goods or issues. Scorpius or Scorpio sometimes the Scorpion is a zodiac constellation that can be seen in the summer sky. It is a large constellation located in the southern hemisphere near the center of the Milky Way. This constellation is seen along the ecliptic between Libra and Sagittarius. The brightest star in Scorpio is Antares, a red Supergiant star that is about 500 light-years away from Earth and is about 230 times as big as the Sun.

Sagittarius is the 9th constellation of the zodiac. It is located in the ecliptic between Scorpio and Capricorn.

Aquarius or the Water Bearer is a faint constellation is seen along the

ecliptic. The sun passes through Aquarius from mid-February until mid-March.

Virgo or the Virgin is the sixth constellation of the zodiac. It is located along the ecliptic between Leo and Libra. It could easily be located through the brightest star in Virgo is Spica meaning "ear of wheat". Virgo is the second-largest among the 88 constellations, just following after the constellation below it, Hydra or the Water Snake. Virgo looks so big because of the great distances between its few stars.

Gemini or "the Twins" is one of the constellations of the zodiac, located along the ecliptic between Taurus and Cancer. It is easy to see the picture of two stick figures representing the twins, Castor and Pollux. In Greek myth, the twins were sons of Leda and Zeus. The heads of the twins are represented by stars that are named for the mythological characters. Pollux is the brighter of the two stars and the one on the left. Pollux is a yellow-orange giant star. Castor is a hot white star system consisting of four members.

Taurus or the Bull is the 2nd constellation of the zodiac. Taurus is a large and prominent constellation. This constellation is seen along the ecliptic between Aries and Gemini. This constellation is easily seen because of its distinctive Y shape. The brightest star in Taurus is Aldebaran, an orange-red giant which is the thirteenth brightest star in the heavens. The star

Aldebaran is one of the bull's eyes.

the Zodiac
Zodiac denotes an annual cycle of twelve stations along the ecliptic or the apparent path around the sun across the sky, going through the constellations. The constellations of the zodiacs divide the ecliptic into twelve (12) equal zones of celestial longitude. The term zodiac comes from the Latin zdiacus meaning circle of animals.

This term remains though some of the new zodiac signs are not named from animals. Examples: Libra, Aquarius, Gemini and Virgo. The zodiac is recognized as the first known family of constellations. The movement of the Sun through each sign corresponds roughly to equal number of days each year.