Astrology by the numbers
The questions people ask about signs, answered by counting: 5,944 famous people’s charts and 762 couples, each count set beside what chance alone would give.
- 8.8%of 5,739 famous people are CancersWhich zodiac sign has the most famous people?Cancer leads by a hair, and every sign is within chance.
- 50%of famous couples have signs said to get on; random pairs, 50%Do famous couples have compatible zodiac signs?Not by Sun sign alone, and matched couples last no longer.
- 18.2%born under Mercury retrograde; the sky gives 19.1%Are famous people born under Mercury retrograde?As often as the sky gives, give or take. Venus and Mars likewise.
- February 2133 famous birthdays, where an even year gives 16Which birthday has the most famous people?The busiest day of the year, and the quietest. The months are within chance.
- +7%more teammates share a Sun sign than chance givesDo bandmates and teammates share zodiac signs?Not by the stars. Teammates a little, and the likely reason is the calendar.
How the studies work
The real sky
Every sign and every retrograde is measured from NASA JPL’s ephemeris for the day of birth.
Against chance
Each count stands beside what chance gives: the Sun’s days in a sign, a year’s own retrogrades, or the same people paired at random.
Nothing guessed
Birth times are not held, so a sign that changed on the day of birth is left out rather than guessed.
Every study ends on how it was counted and a line to cite it. Writers, researchers and anyone checking a claim are welcome to quote the figures with a link.