Astronomy vs. Astrology

Main Difference

The main difference between the Astronomy and the Astrology is that Astronomy is a science that deals with the study of everything outside the earth's atmosphere, such as stars, asteroids, planets, and galaxies, etc. whereas Astrology is the study of the positioning of the stars and planets with the belief that they affect the events that occur on earth.

Difference Between Astronomy and Astrology

Comparison Chart

Astronomy vs. Astrology

For millions of years, we have looked up at the sky with wonder to know more about this vast universe. From the past few years, science has improved our ability to study and understand this wide universe and solar system with a reliable scientific method and precise instruments. The study of phenomena and objects that are present beyond the Earth’s atmosphere is known as astronomy, on the flip side, the study of apparent positions of celestial objects to predict the future events is known as astrology. In the start, they were archaically treated together but gradually separated in Western 17th-century philosophy which is known as the “Age of Reason” with the rejection of astrology. Astronomy was originated thousands of years ago with the advancement of science while; astrology was originated about 4,000-5,000 years back. Astronomy is a natural science; on the other hand, astrology is a pseudoscience without any scientific validity. A person who deals with astronomy is known as an astronomer; on the other side, a person that deals with astrology is known as an astrologist. The main goal of astronomy is to understand the nature of this universe whereas, astrologers use the astronomical calculations to find out the position of celestial bodies along the ecliptic and try to correlate celestial events with earthly events and human affairs.

What is Astronomy?

Astronomy is the natural study of celestial objects and phenomena by the application of chemistry, physics, and mathematics. These fields help to through light on the origins of these objects, their manner of interaction and their composition. This field of science was originated thousands of years ago with the advancement of science. It covers the study of everything that is present outside the atmosphere of Earth, ranging from the comets of the Kuiper Belt to the furthest-flung galaxies, the moons of Jupiter, the Big Bang Theory invisible black holes, galaxies, stars, and the Cosmic Microwave Background, etc. It is a very important branch of science that taught us about life on our planet, i.e., our species, as well as its origin, the fascinating contents of our solar system, universe and galaxy. Astronomers find this extensive research by the use of computer programs and specialized equipment. Telescopes and satellites are mostly used to analyze and collect data.

What is Astrology?

Astrology is a pseudoscience that deals with the study of apparent positions of celestial objects to predict future events. It was originated about 4,000-5,000 years back. In the past, kings and other rulers employed court astrologers to help them in the decision making about their kingdoms. Astrology is most closely related to horoscopes, and one’s daily or weekly destiny, as well as his fundamental personality, and in which star sign he was born (e.g., Leo, Virgo, Cancer, etc.). Now it has lost its importance, but, millions of people in the world still read their horoscopes daily, and thousands of career practitioners form their living reading star charts and tarot cards, etc. An astrologist understands the movement of celestial objects and some of the main tenets of astronomy to “read” the stars and make their predictions about different events. That is why people assume that astrology is real, and based in proof, but in fact, it is baseless and without any scientific proof.

Conclusion

Above discussion summarizes that Astronomy is a natural science with scientific proofs and deals with the study of objects present outside the earth’s atmosphere whereas, astrology is a pseudoscience that deals with the celestial bodies to predict different events on earth.