We have all heard of astronomy and astrology, the first is a true science, while the second has been said to be a pseudo science, although many have referred to it in a more derogatory way, follow reading and you can learn more about the relationship between astronomy and astrology.
do we really know what is astrology? Astrology is an ancestor of astronomy, some even think that it is an antecedent of it. Astronomy and astrology are apparently very similar words, but between which there are very relevant divergences that need to be known in order to speak properly about the field of study and the content of each one, so as not to fall into the error of confusing them. For that reason, in this section of the article we are going to start with their definitions.
Astronomy
¿What is Astronomy? Astronomy has its own scientific field of research, and it focuses on the study of celestial entities, how they originated, the way they move, their Orbit, what are their distinctive characteristics, the position they occupy in the universe, the laws that govern them and all the physical wonders that are closely related to them.
Astronomy, it can be said without fear of being wrong, that it is the oldest of the natural sciences, as old as the origin of man who, through the sense of vision, has always been able to observe the heavens, to try to understand the mechanisms that govern the universe.
The connection between humans and the sky is very old. Indeed, in prehistoric times, humans were able to learn to predict the movements of visible celestial bodies, stars, and planets, using their sole capacity for observation and reasoning. Historical evidence has shown the vast knowledge of astronomy possessed by the Egyptians and Babylonians. For more information on these advances in astrological science, see the article on what is astronomy.
They had managed to describe and even predict celestial phenomena with great precision. One of the most definitive proofs of this is found in the construction of the pyramids of Giza, with which it has been shown that they were made following the celestial location of the stars.
The approach on earth of the placement of each of the three pyramids exactly reproduces the position of the three stellar bodies that make up what has been called in the celestial vault as Orion's Belt, which are located in the constellation that bears that same name.
This science has been enriched by the discoveries and enormous contributions made by renowned scientists who dedicated their knowledge to astronomy, such as Nicholas Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei, Christiaan Huygens, Isaac Newton, William Herschel, Edwin Hubble. .
Astrology
Astrology, in the best of cases, is considered as a set of statements that advocate the existence of influences from celestial objects, from Stars in humans and, in theory, by studying such influences, it is possible to predict events that will occur in the future.
This field of research is centered on the belief that the movements of objects in the universe are a consequence of activity originating in the zodiacal constellations of the celestial vault, and that these are the ones that govern what will happen to humanity in the future. If you'd like to delve deeper into the topic, you could explore Whether astrology is a belief or a science.
Astrology, it must be concluded, is not a science, but a belief that can be considered, even, mystical, and is limited to reasoning only about the astronomical events that occur in our solar system and the influence that such events exert about men.
Over the course of a few centuries, the astronomy and astrology went hand in hand and led to highly significant astronomical discoveries, such as heliocentrism, the creation of telescopes, and the possibility of formulating theories that led scientists to be able to perform precise astronomical calculations. For more details on this topic, I would recommend reading about astronomy documentaries.
But all this made astronomy advance and it was understood that astrology is based on beliefs and superstitions that do not have a scientific basis, such as, for example, the widespread belief in the late middle ages that our planet was the Center of the universe.
Differences between Astronomy and Astrology
Astronomy is a science, while astrology is a belief. Astronomy has a scientific basis that is based on the observations, studies and calculations that scientists have been able to demonstrate empirically, however, astrologers advocate the idea that, with certain observations, they are able to establish the influence that the astral bodies have on man and, based on it, they dare to predict what will happen in the future.
In the science of astronomy, all phenomena related to celestial objects and phenomena of the heavens, such as eclipses and the passage of comets and meteorites, are studied and explained. However, astrology aims to show the supposed effects that the same celestial objects produce on humans, using the well-known horoscopes for this purpose. To better understand this topic, you can review the article on what are the signs of the zodiac.
Astrology tries to make astrological elucidations related to the location of the celestial bodies, relating them to the zodiacal signs and intends to demonstrate the supposed influence that a certain stellar configuration in the heavens has on an event linked to a person on an express date.
