Aquarius the Water Bearer, or Water Carrier, is one of the CONSTELLATIONS of the ZODIAC, the band of sky through which the Sun, Moon, and planets appear to move. Most prominent during the autumn months in the Northern Hemisphere, Aquarius contains the globular cluster M 2, the planetary nebula NGC 7009, also known as the Saturn nebula, and NGC 7293, known as the Helix nebula. The Aquarid meteor showers appear to radiate from the constellation in early May and late July.

In ASTROLOGY, Aquarius governs the period between January 20 and February 18. Because of the precession of the equinoxes, the point where the Sun passes from the south to north of the celestial equator (the spring equinox) will move into Aquarius about AD 2200, giving rise to the phrase "the dawning of the age of Aquarius."

Bibliography: Burnham, Robert, Burnham's Celestial Handbook, 2 vols. (1966; repr. 1978).

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