Introduction
What’s the difference between astrology and astronomy? A good question if you’re new or inexperienced regarding the “astro” topic. We’ll explain some basics about both terms and we’re pretty sure you’ll be able to compare the two. But don’t worry because we’ll spend a minute to answer the question anyways.
Astronomy
So what is astronomy? The term derives from ancient Greek language and refers to the science of objects in the universe. You could say that it’s the study of anything that floats in outer space. This includes stars, constellations, planets, moons, nebula, the milky way etc. In fact you could call yourself an “amateur” astronomer if you grab a telescope. You can study the universe and keep track of anything that’s happening out there. Some of the latest discoveries have actually been made by people who glance at the stars as a hobby.
Astronomy however also involves a scientific observation. How and when were these stars created? Did anything change in their constellation? Is that planet still in the same orbit? Is there a chemical reason for their existence? All these things take astronomy one step further than just observation. This professional approach is therefore called astrophysics.
Astrology
In comparison to astronomy, astrology is not an exact science and therefore sometimes referred to as “pseudoscience”. Astrology tries to examine how universal objects (like stars) influence our behavior and even our life to a certain extent. Try to understand this:
There are countless stars in the sky right? Some of them seem close to each other and form a group. These groups are also known as constellations. Some of them carry a name like “Aries” for example. Another famous one is “Orion”. Maybe you heard of them before? Twelve of these constellations have become more popular because they are also known as our horoscopes.
So why were they added to our horoscope whilst others weren’t? It’s because they all form a circle which the sun “passes” throughout the year. This circle is also known as the Zodiac.
The question that remains is if these stars have an effect on our lives on earth. What do you think? Is that possible? Some say yes and some say no. Sceptics state that there’s no academic proof. They also state that there are more constellations within the Zodiac so the horoscope story is not “fair”. Ophiuchus would be a good example for this as it’s out there but never been added to the list. On the contrary it’s obvious that many people have a firm believe in astrology. They read their daily horoscope and seem amazed by how precise it can be in regards to their existence. Does popularity and personal believe outrank science? Hard question if you ask us.
So What’s The Difference?
We guess that by now you’re already able to answer that question by yourself. Astronomy is a science and astrology is a pseudoscience. Astronomy uses physics and chemistry to determine how the universe was born and what’s changing over time. Astrology is more of a believe that these stars influence our lives on planet earth. The way we behave and the way our day turns out to be. Will there ever be “real” proof for astrology? That’s probably a question that remains unanswered. It’s help and assistance to “brighten up” people’s lives can not just be neglected. However these days it’s still not considered as evidence based.
