The signs of the zodiac are NOT off by a month!

Stargazers across Canada can relax: the zodiac signs aren't changing after all.

Astrology fans were thrown for a loop this week after a Minneapolis astronomy professor suggested the signs of the zodiac are off by roughly a month.

Parke Kunkle, a board member at the Minnesota Planetarium Society, told a newspaper interviewer that the Earth's wobbly orbit means it's no longer aligned to the stars in the same way as when the signs of the zodiac were first conceived.

That means when astrologers say the sun is in Pisces, it's really in Aquarius, and so on, Kunkle said.

The story published in the Star Tribune of Minneapolis quickly went viral, leaving thousands to wonder _ and in some cases, worry _ whether their sign might change.

But astrologers say it simply isn't so, noting the zodiac system typically used in the Western world is based on the seasonal equinoxes, not the constellations.

Robin Armstrong, an astrologer and astrology teacher based in Toronto, said the issue comes up every few years.

The mixup stems from the fact that the zodiac signs have the same names as the constellations, he said.

"It's just semantics," Armstrong said Friday. "They (astronomers) are measuring a certain thing, and they...assume astrology must mean this because what they're measuring has the same names."

Shock turned into confusion and relief Friday as some started to question the rumoured changes to the zodiac.

Liora Ipsum, 27, was happy to hear she'll remain a Gemini instead of becoming a Taurus.

Though not sold on astrology overall, "I definitely always considered myself a Gemini," the Toronto resident said. "I just feel I have that kind of duality to my personality."

The possibility of switching signs made her rethink that assessment, she said. "Have I always considered myself a Gemini because that's what I am, or do I find those characteristics because I'm a Gemini, you know?"

Besides, "I know I wouldn't want others to see me as a Taurus," a notoriously stubborn sign, she said.

The zodiac remained a popular topic on Twitter, where most commenters pledged to stay true to their original signs.

Some took the issue less seriously, suggesting "Hey, what's your new sign?" could become the next big pick-up line.

Other websites, such as The Huffington Post, posted Internet applications allowing users to determine their new sign and that of their friends.

Kunkle, the astronomer, said he's stunned by the attention he's getting for his comments.

The professor told the Associated Press on Friday that all the hubbub is based on "2,000-year-old information."

"This is not new news. I have no idea why it went viral this time," Kunkle said. "Almost every astronomy class talks about it."