Easy Writing Hacks: "Astrology" Versus "Astronomy" (Are You Sure You Know the Di

Although they sound similar, the word astrology has a completely different meaning than the word astronomy, and knowing the difference is key to preserving your brand reputation through quality content writing.

Oxford defines the noun astrology as the study of movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as an influence on human affairs. Commonly known by the signs of the zodiac, astrology ascribes behavioral and emotional characteristics to people based on birth association to one astrological sign or another. Astrology also offers allegedly auspicious times to conduct business, seek new romance and other terrestrial objectives. In short, astrology represents data supplied by the stars, and that data can only manifest physically through human beings, who often create some rather puzzling copy when they use astrology instead of astronomy.

Here’s an example of what I mean, drawn from a TV listing for an old sci-fi show called The Outer Limits:

“A scientist (Gregory Harrison) fears an astrological event will destroy a space colony that he helped to build.”

Since astrology can only manifest physically through human beings, one can only wonder how astrology could threaten an entire colony.

Did all the colonists wake up one morning, flip to the astrology page of the local tabloid and read, “Today would be an auspicious day to loot and pillage”? Did every Libra in the colony decide they’d had enough of being known as well-balanced and decide to set fire to the local curling rink to show just how imbalanced they could be?

While the example listing begs such questions through the use of the adjective astrological (meaning of or relating to astrology), the space colony is actually in danger because of astronomy—a word for which the writer may have been reaching but missed as evidenced by the show’s plot.

In the episode, Harrison plays a scientist who warns fellow colonists about an impending solar flare that will result in planet-wide destruction. The trouble is, few heed his cry for evacuation, since his previous prediction about a volcanic eruption didn’t happen.

Solar flares are purely physical events. They are not bursts of speculative information. A solar flare, for example, will not offer tips on when it may be a good time to invest in a new cell phone. A solar flare, if strong enough, will simply knock out cell communications. Solar flares, black holes, nebulas, planets, stars and more fall under the science of astronomy as subjects of objective scientific investigation. Since the solar flare threatening the colony is a purely physical threat, a simple revision using the adjective astronomical offers a true encapsulation of the episode:

"A scientist (Gregory Harrison) fears an astronomical event will destroy a space colony that he helped to build."

The adjective astronomical also means extremely large, which also applies to the revision, since the eradication of all life on a planet would indeed be a large event.

To hedge against the eradication of readership, simply remember the following:

If a planet is in danger of being wiped out by a meteor impact or orbital anomaly, the danger is of an astronomical nature.

If a planet is in peril of being overrun by bargain-hungry Aquarians desperate for a deal on new shoes because their horoscope read “buy something sassy today and you’ll be a smash,” the danger is of an astrological nature.

Other Astronomical Words to Consider

• The Solar System is a proper noun denoting the planetary system in which Earth orbits. Other solar systems have their own names (e.g. 51 Pegasi).

• Extrasolar planets are planets orbiting systems other than the Solar System.

• The Galaxy denotes our galaxy (properly called the Milky Way). Other galaxies have their own proper names (e.g. the Andromeda Galaxy).

• The word interplanetary means “between planets”—those within a solar system as well as those within a galaxy (made up of many solar systems).

• The word intergalactic means “between galaxies.”

• The universe encompasses everything: planets, solar systems, galaxies, the distances between them, everything—an expanse so immeasurable that an attempt to grasp its size could result in a week-long ice-cream headache.

No one knows how big the universe really is. Therefore, be cautious.

As a general rule when writing about cosmological things, don’t take readers out farther into space than you must. If you’re writing about something happening around a planet, use planet or planetary. If something is happening farther out in space, use solar system or galaxy.

When you write using the universe, you’ve taken readers into an expanse so huge that the effect can essentially be meaningless.