♃

♃ U+2643, ♃ JUPITER ← ♂ [U+2642] Miscellaneous Symbols ♄ → [U+2644]

Translingual

Etymology

The Greek letter Zeta with an abbreviation stroke, for Ζεύς (Zeús), the Greek equivalent to the Roman god Jupiter. The form changed from Classical and early Medieval ⟨Ƶ⟩ to one with a more salient cross, ⟨♃⟩, in the 15th–16th century, at about the time that Christian crosses were added to ⟨☿⟩, ⟨♀⟩ and ⟨♄⟩, and so may have had a similar motivation.

Use of ♃ for Thursday, near the bottom of the calendar dial of this 13th-century clock tower.

A modern allograph of ♃ that more clearly reflects its origin in the letter 'Z'.

Symbol

♃

1. (astronomy, astrology) Jupiter.
2. (alchemy, archaic) tin.
3. (botany, obsolete) herbaceous perennial plant.

   (the orbital period of Jupiter is 12 years)

4. (rare) Thursday.

   Refers to the Latin phrase dies Iovis, which literally means "Jupiter's day".

Derived terms

• (astronomy): M_♃ – Jovian mass (as a unit of measurement; more commonly M_J).

R_♃ – Jovian radius (more commonly R_J).

• (alchemy): 🜩 – tin ore.