There are many among us, who think that Astrology and Astrophysics are almost same. But, the reality is that they quite are different, similar to how an Astrologer and an Astrophysicist are different. In fact, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Cosmology and Astrology are are interdependent but very much different.
Astronomy
Astronomy is a branch of science which studies and deals with celestial objects (like galaxies, planets, stars, comets etc.), the outer space (like the different types of cosmic radiations outside earth’s atmosphere) and the physical universe as a whole.
There are two types of Astronomy – Observational and Theoretical Astronomy. Observational Astronomy uses telescopes and cameras (of various kinds) to observe and study galaxies, stars, planets, moons, asteroids, comets and other astronomical objects. Theoretical Astronomy uses mathematics and computer modelling to study and explain the observations. Generally, these two work together in predicting what should/would happen and observe whether the predictions are correct or not.
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is a branch of science that applies the laws of Physics and Chemistry (to a great extent) to study and explain the birth, life span and death of stars, planets, galaxies, nebulae and other objects in the universe. Astrophysicists do research and learn about the universe/multiverse and our place in it.
Cosmology
Cosmology is a branch of science which studies the origin and development of the universe based upon the Big Bang theory and its future. In reality, Cosmology, Astronomy and Astrophysics are interdependent.
Then what is Astrology?
Astrology is a science and study of the positions of celestial bodies and their influence on human and other life forms in the world. An Astrologer is one who practices Astrology. Astrology and Astronomy were thought to be same in the earlier days but it is extremely different at present. Astrology believes that the position, alignment and movement of planets and stars affect an individual’s personality, mood and the environment he/she lives in. The date, place and time of birth (basically the latitude and longitude along with birth-time) have great importance in astrology. It is difficult to test the validity of astrology just because of the fact that there is no consensus among astrologers and their interpretations. The horoscopes of two persons born on the same date and place with a slight change in their birth time can have different planetary positions and hence their effects on those individuals will not be the same.
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Sreekumar Paliath
Goood article Aswathy. Keep it going