Astronomy and astrology misbeliefs

 Astrology, an ancient practice dating back to antiquity, claims to predict an individual's destiny and fortune based on the positions of celestial bodies like the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets. Initially, astrology and astronomy were indistinguishable, but the discovery of planetary orbits around the Sun and the physical laws governing their behavior by Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton led to their divergence, with astronomy now in direct conflict with astrology's zodiac date assumptions.

Throughout the year, the Sun appears to traverse a celestial band containing 12 ancient constellations, commonly referred to as the zodiac. These constellations, often representing animals like Aries, Cancer, or Leo, seldom resemble their namesakes but serve as symbolic representations. The zodiac's origins can be traced back to Mesopotamian cultures or even earlier, with diverse human cultures worldwide developing their own distinct constellation designs.

For instance, the Incas based their constellations on the Milky Way's dark patches rather than stars. The Western zodiac's 12 constellations align with the Moon's 12.4 annual orbits around Earth. Consequently, the Sun appears against a different constellation backdrop during each new Moon. Although daytime renders stars invisible, the Sun's position in a zodiac constellation can be inferred by observing its opposite constellation in the night sky.

Astrology simplifies the zodiac by dividing it into 12 equal 30-degree sections, totaling 360 degrees. However, constellations greatly vary in shape and size, causing discrepancies in the Sun's transit duration through each. Precession, the Earth's axial oscillation due to equatorial bulging and the Moon and Sun's gravitational forces, further misaligns astrological signs with zodiac constellations. This motion, identified by Hipparchus of Nicaea around 150 B.C., causes zodiac constellations to shift eastward approximately one degree every 71 years.

Spring equinox or the first day of spring, once in Aries, transitioned into Pisces around 100 B.C. due to precession. It will continue into Aquarius in 2700 and complete a 25,800-year cycle before returning to Aries. While astrology offers entertaining insights into destiny and personality, it lacks scientific credibility. Astrology distracts from the planets' genuine influences, such as gravitational effects triggering changes in orbits and potentially causing ice ages on Earth.

Direct collisions between Earth and celestial bodies can cause very rapid changes, such as the impact of an asteroid off the Yucatan Peninsula 66 million years ago that had global effects including the disappearance of dinosaurs and the rise of mammals.

Astronomical studies will eventually allow the prediction of such events, while astrological predictions will lead absolutely nowhere.