The consellations were seen as a backdrop against which the apparent motions of the sun, moon and palnets were charted. The sun and planets appeared to move (relative to the stars) within a narrow band of the sky, and this belt (or odiac) was divided intwo twelve arcs fo 30 degrees, each corresponding to one of the twelve zodiacal signs. The signs were named afte rthe most prominent constellations that (originally) fell within them. (Tressider, 2000)
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