▁of ▁the ▁Sun ▁across ▁the ▁cel est ial ▁sphere ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁year . ▁The ▁paths ▁of ▁the ▁Moon ▁and ▁visible ▁plan ets ▁are ▁also ▁within ▁the ▁bel t ▁of ▁the ▁z od iac . ▁ ▁In ▁Western ▁ast ro log y , ▁and ▁formerly ▁astronom y , ▁the ▁z od iac ▁is ▁divided ▁into ▁twelve ▁signs , ▁each ▁occup ying ▁ 3 0 ° ▁of ▁cel est ial ▁longitude ▁and ▁roughly ▁corresponding ▁to ▁the ▁const ell ations : ▁A ries , ▁T aur us , ▁Gem ini , ▁Can cer , ▁Leo , ▁Vir go , ▁Lib ra , ▁Sc or pio , ▁S ag itt arius , ▁Cap ric orn , ▁Aqu arius , ▁and ▁P is ces . ▁ ▁These ▁ast ro log ical ▁signs ▁form ▁a ▁cel est ial ▁coordinate ▁system , ▁or ▁even ▁more ▁specifically ▁an ▁e cli ptic ▁coordinate ▁system , ▁which ▁takes ▁the ▁e cli ptic ▁as ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁latitude ▁and ▁the ▁Sun ' s ▁position ▁at ▁v ernal ▁equ ino x ▁as ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁longitude . ▁ ▁Name ▁The ▁English ▁word ▁ ▁der ives ▁from ▁, ▁the ▁Latin ized ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁An cient ▁Greek ▁z ō id iak ò s ▁k ý k los ▁( ), ▁meaning ▁" cycle ▁or ▁circle ▁of ▁little ▁animals ". ▁Z ō id ion ▁() ▁is ▁the ▁dimin utive ▁of ▁z ō ion ▁( , ▁" an imal "). ▁The ▁name ▁reflect s ▁the ▁prom in ence ▁of ▁animals ▁( and ▁myth ological ▁hy br