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Astrology and astronomy were archaically treated together (Latin: astrologia), but gradually distinguished through the Late Middle Ages [1] into the Age of Reason. Developments in 17th century philosophy resulted in astrology and astronomy operating as independent pursuits by the 18th century.
The distinction between astrology and astronomy was not entirely clear. Advances in astronomy were often motivated by the desire to improve the accuracy of astrology. [77] Kepler, for example, was driven by a belief in harmonies between Earthly and celestial affairs, yet he disparaged the activities of most astrologers as "evil-smelling dung". [78]
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems that hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events or descriptions of personality in the human world. Astrology has been rejected by the scientific community as having no explanatory power for describing the universe.
Heliocentric astrology focuses on the Sun as the central point of reference, while psychological astrology delves into the intricate connections between celestial movements and the human psyche. Across different cultures, astrology has taken on unique forms and interpretations.
Scientific astronomy used the same sectors of the ecliptic as Western astrology until the 19th century. Various approaches to measuring and dividing the sky are currently used by differing systems of astrology, although the tradition of the Zodiac's names and symbols remain mostly consistent.
Astronomy should not be confused with astrology, the belief system which claims that human affairs are correlated with the positions of celestial objects. [1] Although the two fields share a common origin, they are now entirely distinct.
Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. [1] [2] As one of the founders of the discipline, James Keeler, said, astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the heavenly bodies, rather than their positions or motions in space—what they are, rather than where they are", [3] which is studied ...
[3] It is also related to historical astronomy (analyzing historical astronomical data), history of astronomy (understanding and study and evolution of the discipline of astronomy over the course of human knowledge) and history of astrology (investigating relationships between astrology and astronomy).