Differences Between Astrology, Astronomy, Cosmology and Astrophysics Explained

When it comes to describing each of these subjects accurately even the bests of us finds themselves lost. These subjects share a lot of similarities thus creating a lot of confusion.

So here is a clear description of them all:

COSMOLOGY

It comes from Greek word Kosmos meaning “world”

It is defined as the study of origin, fate, evolution and end of Universe and also the scientific laws that govern the realities of the world. It is a branch of astronomy.

NASA defines cosmology as : “The scientific study of the large scale properties of the universe as a whole”

WHAT COSMOLOGISTS DO?

·         They deal with big concepts and  theories such as String Theory, Dark matter , Dark energy etc.

·         They answer big questions Like:

i)        What comes before Big Bang?

ii)      How old is this Universe?

iii)    Will universe end?

ASTROPHYSICS

It is a study which deals with the principles of chemistry and laws of physics that determine the nature of celestial bodies.

In short it tells us about the life and death of stars, galaxies, planets  and other such objects in universe.

NASA defines astrophysics as: “ A study in which we discover how the universe works, explore how it began and search for life on planets and other stars.”

WHAT ASTROPHYSICISTS DO?

They answer the questions like:

•          How does the Universe work?
•         What is a Black hole?
•         Are we alone in the universe?

 ASTRONOMY

It is the study of Sun, moon, stars, planets, dwarfs, comets, gasses, dust and other such objects in universe.

It is closely related to astrophysics which deals with the physics involved whereas astronomy concentrates on behavior, properties and motion of objects out there. However modern  astronomy includes many aspects of astrophysics.

NASA defines astronomy as : “The study of stars planets ad space”

WHAT ASTRONOMERS DO?

There are two type of astronomers

Observational Astronomers:  They directly measure the motion and changes of stars, planets, galaxies and so on.

Theoretical Astronomer:  They Model and analyze how the systems may have involved.

Most of the time they both work collaboratively

Sub fields of Astronomy:

These are the fields in which scientists specialize

1)      Planetary astronomer

2)      Solar astronomer

3)      Stellar astronomer

4)      Galactic astronomer

5)      Extragalactic astronomer

6)      Cosmologists

7)      Astrometry

ASTROLOGISTS:

It is strictly not a field of science and is defined as the study of position and motion of planets , sun, and moon in belief that they have some influence over human behavior and future events.

WHAT ASTROLOGERS DO?

An astrologer uses the data he collects and tries to describe the nature of  a person or predicts the outcome of an event taking place.

SUMMARY

•        Astronomy measures position, motion of bodies and other characteristics.

• Astrophysics  creates theories to explain the structure, composition and motion of bodies.
•        Cosmology is same as astrophysics but it works on a larger scale i.e. The Universe.

•          Astrology uses the motion and position of celestial bodies for describing human affairs and interpreting future events.