▁the ▁" z od iac ▁of ▁the ▁com ets " ▁may ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁band ▁en comp ass ing ▁most ▁short - period ▁com ets . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Early ▁history ▁▁ ▁The ▁division ▁of ▁the ▁e cli ptic ▁into ▁the ▁z odia cal ▁signs ▁origin ates ▁in ▁Bab yl onian ▁astronom y ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁mill en ni um ▁BC . ▁The ▁z od iac ▁draw s ▁on ▁stars ▁in ▁earlier ▁Bab yl onian ▁star ▁catalog ues , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁M UL . AP IN ▁catalog ue , ▁which ▁was ▁compiled ▁around ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁BC . ▁Some ▁const ell ations ▁can ▁be ▁trac ed ▁even ▁further ▁back , ▁to ▁Bron ze ▁Age ▁( First ▁Bab yl onian ▁dynast y ) ▁sources , ▁including ▁Gem ini ▁" The ▁Tw ins ," ▁from ▁MA Š . T AB . BA . G AL . G AL ▁" The ▁Great ▁Tw ins ," ▁and ▁Can cer ▁" The ▁C rab ," ▁from ▁AL . L UL ▁" The ▁C ray fish ," ▁among ▁others . ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁century ▁BC , ▁Bab yl onian ▁astronom ers ▁divided ▁the ▁e cli ptic ▁into ▁ 1 2 ▁equal ▁" sign s ", ▁by ▁anal ogy ▁to ▁ 1 2 ▁sch ematic ▁months ▁of ▁ 3 0 ▁days ▁each . ▁Each ▁sign ▁contained ▁ 3 0 ° ▁of ▁cel est ial ▁longitude , ▁thus ▁creating ▁the ▁first ▁known ▁cel est ial