Girard-Perregaux COSMOS, User Manual

A CELESTIAL GLOBE INDICATING THE CONSTELLATIONS OF THE ZODIAC

The celestial globe of Cosmos, whose mechanism is based on the duration of a sidereal day, is an 
astronomical globe indicating the constellations of the Zodiac. It is composed of 12 constellations 
which showcase their very own combination of stars. Their arrangement recalls the astrological 
signs known today and divided into 12 periods of time throughout the year.

The Zodiac differs between astronomy and astrology due to the phenomenon called “precession 
of the equinoxes”. It corresponds to the gradual change of direction of the Earth rotation axis, 
resulting in a change of the stars position in the sky over the years. The astronomical calendar 
of the zodiac thus refers to the stars that are actually visible in the sky at a given time, unlike the 
astrological one that is invariant over time.

The current zodiacal constellation is the one that is placed behind the sun when it is 12 o’clock 
solar time, referred to as “the sun passage through the constellation”. Invisible to the naked eye 
because of the solar light diffusion in the atmosphere, the constellation is revealed by the celestial 
globe of Cosmos.

Taurus

Aries

Pisces

Aquarius

Capricorn

Sagittarius

Scorpio

Libra

Virgo

Leo

Cancer

Gemini