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Astronomy is the oldest of all sciences. It arose from the needs of primitive man, who noticed that the seasons change depending on the position of the Sun and the starry sky. Observing from year to year the height of the Sun at noon and the position of certain groups of stars, people coordinated their economic activity with them. This became especially necessary with the development of agriculture and cattle breeding.
Ideas about a close connection between events in the sky and events on Earth began to emerge gradually. This is how astrology appeared. Astrologers believed that the fate of states could be determined in advance by studying the location and movement of certain celestial bodies. Astrologers observed the placement of planets and stars and drew up various rules, according to which they made appropriate predictions.
Read more about astrology and astronomy below and find out their similarities and differences.
Development and Significance of Astronomy in Human Life
Astronomy is a fundamental science that studies the objects of the universe and the universe as a whole. Important tasks of astronomy are the explanation and prediction of astronomical phenomena, such as solar and lunar eclipses, the appearance of periodic comets, asteroids, large meteor bodies, or comet nuclei near the Earth, etc. In addition, astronomy studies the physical processes occurring in the depths of the planets, on the surface, and in their atmospheres to better understand the structure and evolution of our planet.
The eight major planets (including Earth), dwarf planets, their satellites, asteroids, meteorites, comets, interplanetary dust, and field forms of matter together with the Sun make up the gravitationally bound Solar System. Studying the movement of celestial bodies makes it possible to clarify questions about the stability of the solar system and the probability of the Earth colliding with asteroids or comet nuclei.
Knowledge of the processes taking place in the Sun and forecasting their further development is essential because the existence of all living things on Earth depends on it. Studying the evolution of other stars and comparing them with the Sun helps to understand the stages of development of our star.
By the way, the astronomy topic is great for writing an essay. There are many interesting literary sources that can be used during work. You can write the paper yourself or buy a compare and contrast essay from professional writers. The work will certainly contain well-founded facts and fascinating examples.
What Is Astrology and Why Is It Popular Today?
Astrology is a pseudoscientific teaching that deals with predicting human destinies based on the location of the planets and stars. It is separated into two directions:
- Natural astrology;
- Judicial astrology.
Natural astrology investigates the effect of stars and planets on the animal and plant world. Judicial astrology tries to predict the fate of nations and individuals based on the night sky and the alignment of the stars.
Today, astrology does not want to define itself as one of the forms of divination but claims to possess scientific truth. But astrology cannot belong to the field of science in its modern sense since it does not empirically deal with collecting information that is completely inaccessible to such observation. Therefore predictions are deeply symbolic in nature.
Astrology lacks the repeatability of phenomena, while science usually studies recurring processes. Therefore, there is no guarantee of correctness, and the horoscope is an untested hypothesis that cannot be confirmed with statistical information. Nevertheless, it carries informative and useful information. People tend to turn to astrology when they are going through difficult times.
Astronomy and Astrology: Main Differences and Similarities
Let's compare astrology and astronomy according to several criteria.
Object of Study
Astrology focuses on the connection between the cosmic sphere and man. The doctrine puts forward the idea that the whole world is a single system, the parts of which are subject to the same laws. Thus, the movement of various celestial objects affects the development of man and the events that take place.
Astronomy is focused on the in-depth study of the objects of the universe, their origin, chemical composition, patterns of development, and trajectories of movement. Such objects are stars, planets with their satellites, asteroids, etc. The result of such studies is discoveries that contribute to the development of technical progress.
Applied Methods
The astrological activity uses the compilation and interpretation of astrological charts as the primary method. A schematic representation of celestial bodies observed in a particular unit of time is called a horoscope. Forecasts and descriptions are usually made based on these data.
Astronomy is based on scientific methods of research: observation, measurement of quantities, spectral analysis, and verification of the reliability of the information in laboratories. The laws of mechanics and physics are used. Various mathematical calculations are performed.
Officiality
Astrology is believed to be similar to magic and esotericism since it does not operate with objective facts and evidence. Despite numerous attempts to give astrology a physical basis, it is recognized as a pseudoscience. Astronomy is an exact science and is officially recognized. It describes the real world and the patterns existing in it.
Conclusion
The common roots of astronomy and astrology have led to the fact that these two terms are not always distinguished. Their main difference is that astrology is recognized as a pseudoscience. Its purpose is to study the position of celestial objects, interpret human personality, and predict future events. On the other hand, astronomy is an exact science that studies stars, planets, comets, black holes, and other cosmic phenomena. Its research is based on truthful empirical data and well-known scientific methods.
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