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The symbols of the sky: planetary and zodiac signs, lunar phases, and the designations astronomers use for objects and observations.
Here when the symbol denotes a celestial body or an astronomical concept. The same glyphs serve astronomy and astrology, and the records keep the two readings separate rather than merging them.
Officially standardised for the astronomical use, culturally established for the astrological, and the records say which claim is which — including that the zodiac signs and the constellations they are named for no longer coincide.
All 107symbols in this domain, A–Z.
A capital M giving intrinsic brightness.
Two identical wavy lines set one above the other, each rising and falling twice, the zodiac sign for births between 20 January to 18 February.
Two curves rising from a single vertical stem and turning outward at the top, like a pair of horns, the zodiac sign for births between 21 March to 19 April.
The solar term at 180° of solar longitude.
The solar term at 345° of solar longitude.
Two angles fixing a direction from where you stand.
A Greek letter with a constellation's genitive name.
Two spirals set side by side and turned through half a circle from one another, each curling inward, the zodiac sign for births between 21 June to 22 July.
A sharp angular stroke rising to a point and falling again, ending in a small closed loop curling below, the zodiac sign for births between 22 December to 19 January.
Two great circles drawn across a star chart.
The solar term at 195° of solar longitude.
A small disc trailing a set of diverging lines.
A small circle with a short stroke rising from its right side.
Three letters standing for one of eighty-eight constellations.
A celestial coordinate measured in degrees north or south.
A capital letter suffix naming a component.
A circle quartered by a cross — the Earth.
Codes naming an eclipse's type, date and magnitude.
The solar term at 150° of solar longitude.
A letter and year fixing a coordinate frame.
A figure of eight on a dial.
Thirteen months, one of five days.
A star name with a lower-case letter.
A vertical stave with two short arms angled up to the right.
A crescent opening to the left, marking the waxing half moon.
A number with a constellation name.
Ten-day weeks, briefly.
The solar term at 210° of solar longitude.
Two vertical strokes joined by a horizontal bar at the top and another at the foot, the shape of the Roman numeral two, the zodiac sign for births between 21 May to 20 June.
The solar term at 60° of solar longitude.
The solar term at 75° of solar longitude.
The solar term at 30° of solar longitude.
A lunar year pulled back into the sun.
The letters HD with a number.
A year counted from a journey.
The letters IC with a number.
A continuous count of days used in astronomy.
A stylised numeral four or Greek zeta crossed by a bar — Jupiter, and tin.
Signs for the days of the moon.
A crescent opening to the right, marking the waning half moon.
A small closed loop at the foot from which a long curve sweeps up and over to the right, ending in a hook, the zodiac sign for births between 23 July to 22 August.
A horizontal line with a second, shorter line above it raised in the middle by a low arc, the zodiac sign for births between 23 September to 22 October.
The letter D marking a comet no longer seen.
A Roman numeral after a spectral type.
A Latin term with a proper name.
A horseshoe-like loop, upright for north and inverted for south.
Shaded discs showing how much of the moon is lit.
The solar term at 300° of solar longitude.
The solar term at 120° of solar longitude.
The solar term at 255° of solar longitude.
A circle with an arrow pointing up and right — Mars, the male sign, and iron.
Signs for the units of a date.
A horned circle above a cross — Mercury, and quicksilver.
An M and a number naming a deep-sky object.
A constellation name in adjectival form.
The solar term at 285° of solar longitude.
The solar term at 105° of solar longitude.
A name proposed by the discoverer and approved.
A number in parentheses before a name.
A year with two letters and a number.
The solar term at 240° of solar longitude.
A crescent — the Moon, and silver in alchemy.
A trident — Neptune.
The letters NGC with a number.
The letter C with a year and code.
A continuous line with strokes crossing or touching it.
Two small circles joined by a straight line.
A number, the letter P and a name.
Two arcs facing away from each other, joined across the middle by a single horizontal line, the zodiac sign for births between 19 February to 20 March.
A Latin descriptor with a themed name.
A woven knot of many interlocking crosses, tied in wool.
The solar term at 15° of solar longitude.
The solar term at 330° of solar longitude.
A celestial coordinate measured in hours rather than degrees.
An arrow pointing up and to the right, crossed near its foot by a short diagonal bar, the zodiac sign for births between 22 November to 21 December.
A crossed sickle shape — Saturn, and lead.
A letter M whose final stroke continues upward and to the right as a straight arrow, the zodiac sign for births between 23 October to 21 November.
Six short strokes radiating from a common centre.
A clock keyed to the stars rather than to the sun.
The solar term at 0° of solar longitude.
A square marking a 90-degree separation.
Dots of graded size standing for brightness.
The solar term at 135° of solar longitude.
The solar term at 315° of solar longitude.
The solar term at 45° of solar longitude.
The solar term at 225° of solar longitude.
A number that runs backwards, smaller meaning brighter.
A capital letter with a digit subdivision.
The solar term at 90° of solar longitude.
A circle with a dot at its centre — the Sun, and gold in alchemy.
Lines that are not evenly spaced.
The letters SN, a year and a letter code.
A circle with a wide upturned arc resting on top of it, like a head carrying a pair of horns, the zodiac sign for births between 20 April to 20 May.
Twelve animals in a fixed order.
Ten stems against twelve branches, sixty pairs.
A ten-character ordinal series.
A twelve-character ordinal series.
The year divided into twenty-four fifteen-degree steps.
A vertical stave with a triangle on its right side.
An equilateral triangle marking a 120-degree separation.
Twenty named days in a cycle.
A circle with a vertical stroke rising to a cross — Uranus.
Letters assigned in an order almost nobody can guess.
A circle above a cross — Venus, the female sign, and copper.
A letter M whose final stroke curves back on itself into a closed loop crossing the third leg, the zodiac sign for births between 23 August to 22 September.
The solar term at 165° of solar longitude.
The solar term at 270° of solar longitude.