Fixed Stars: A Named-Star Reference

Astrological writing often gives a fixed star a zodiac degree. That number is useful only with a date and a coordinate convention. The star has a measured position on the celestial sphere; projecting that direction onto the ecliptic yields a tropical longitude and a latitude. Precession shifts the tropical degree over time. The star’s astronomical constellation and the zodiac sign printed beside its projected longitude answer different questions.

This directory selects 20 recognizable names from the International Astronomical Union’s published name table. The names, J2000 right ascensions, declinations, visual magnitudes, and HR identifiers come from that source. The 2026 coordinates below are calculated independently from those input directions.

Check a birth moment against these stars →

Reading a star entry

Open a name to see its catalogue identity and an explanation of why its geometry matters. Start with the actual ecliptic latitude: a longitude match can be far from a true conjunction on the sphere. Then compare how a historical author named or grouped the star. Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos discusses the natures of fixed stars by constellation figures, while modern catalogues define individual objects with positions and identifiers. The two kinds of document should not be confused.