▁longitude ▁from ▁ 0 ° ▁to ▁ 3 6 0 ° , ▁rather ▁than ▁ 0 ° ▁to ▁ 3 0 ° ▁within ▁each ▁sign . ▁ ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁z od iac ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁to ▁determine ▁astronom ical ▁measurement ▁remained ▁the ▁main ▁method ▁for ▁defining ▁cel est ial ▁positions ▁by ▁Western ▁astronom ers ▁until ▁the ▁Renaissance , ▁at ▁which ▁time ▁preference ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁equ atorial ▁coordinate ▁system , ▁which ▁measures ▁astronom ical ▁positions ▁by ▁right ▁asc ension ▁and ▁decl ination ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁e cli ptic - based ▁definitions ▁of ▁cel est ial ▁longitude ▁and ▁cel est ial ▁latitude . ▁ ▁The ▁word ▁" z od iac " ▁is ▁also ▁used ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁z odia cal ▁cloud ▁of ▁dust ▁gra ins ▁that ▁move ▁among ▁the ▁plan ets , ▁and ▁the ▁z odia cal ▁light ▁that ▁origin ates ▁from ▁their ▁scatter ing ▁of ▁sun light . ▁ ▁Unicode ▁characters ▁In ▁Unicode , ▁the ▁symbols ▁of ▁z od iac ▁signs ▁are ▁encoded ▁in ▁block ▁" M is cell aneous ▁Symbol s ": ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁▁ ▁Astronom ical ▁symbols ▁Chinese ▁z od iac ▁Circle ▁of ▁stars ▁C us p ▁( astro log y ) ▁Element s ▁of ▁the ▁z od iac ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁▁ ▁" A ▁Tre at ise ▁on ▁Z odia cal ▁Sign s ▁and ▁Const ell ations : ▁Un ique ▁Jew els ▁on ▁the ▁Ben ef its ▁of ▁Keep ing ▁Time " ▁is ▁a ▁manuscript ▁that ▁dates ▁back ▁to ▁ 1 8 3 1