Humanity’s perpetual fascination with celestial objects and phenomena had already evolved into a science in ancient Mesopotamia. From there, astronomy grew from recording the stars and tracking their movements to applying mathematics, physics and chemistry principles to explain their origins.

Modern astronomy as we know it was developed by scientists whose names are now famous: Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), and Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727). Their work heralded the parting of ways with astrology and horoscopes. No longer were scientists satisfied with assigning the unknown to a mystical perspective. While the zodiac star signs were still looked-for markers — familiar beacons and a comforting presence in the night sky — the age-old idea of astral influence on earthly events paled before exciting discoveries.

From hand-drawn maps to digital visualisations, astronomy has come a long way. It has reached beyond the boundaries of what is visible to challenge our understanding of our universe.

Today, astronomers follow the progression of exploding stars and discover new galaxies, and their work has improved life on earth as well.

Featured in this set of stamps are four horoscope signs – Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.