Astronomylogy

Posted 12-12-2007 by Jeremy McGovern

Rick Schmidt With more than a week left until what many North Americans consider as official start of winter, a nasty winter blast moved through the Midwest yesterday. Thanks to this weather emergency, our office closed, and most employees spent the day shoveling snow.

Snowed in, I caught up on web browsing. My search began at Yahoo, where I noticed a prominent listing for the Geminids. How great is that? One of the world’s top search engines devotes a prime spot for an astronomical event. Although avid skywatchers are aware of the meteor shower, the general public probably has no idea. Thanks to Yahoo’s high-visibility listing, more folks are likely to see this great display, even if some have to sit in below freezing temperatures to do so.

Unfortunately, Yahoo did commit a mortal sin: When mentioning something astronomical, they tied it to “astrology.” Whether you’re a professional astronomer or backyard observer, you’ve probably encountered this. When discussing your passion for the sky, some dolt labels your topic astrology. You’ve probably politely corrected them, “Um no, that’s astro-NO-MY, not astro-LO-GY.” This is especially frustrating because most of the people who interchange astronomy and astrology can somehow memorize idiotic items, like the contestants’ names on I Love New York.

Maybe Yahoo’s editors didn’t make a mistake. Perhaps they realized that many people mistake astronomy with astrology. Successful marketing means you never have to say you’re sorry.

How often do you run into this? Have you experienced this at a recent holiday party? How do you respond?

Comments (3) | Tags: Jeremy McGovern

Comments

Francis Reddy said:

I usually let it pass the first time and wait until the intended meaning is clear.

I'm of the opinion, backed by some European studies, that people who regard astrology as a science are actually thinking of astronomy. They're tripped up by the similarities of the words.

Your mileage may vary.

-- Frank

December 12, 2007 10:15 PM
Tzar said:

I think Francis has a point.

We astronomers are quick to hyperventilate on this matter because we feel insulted that someone could put on the same footing astrology and astronomy.

But some people just mix up the words. Often, by speaking further with them, you see that in fact they do know that looking at the dark sky for stars or planets with a telescope is definitely not the same thing as reading the daily horoscope column of the newspaper. They do know that astrology and horoscopes is not really serious, but that astronomy is deadly serious.

Still, Yahoo's mistake is unexcusable. These websites are supposed to be run by professionals, not the average Joe Blow on the street, and one would expect these professionals should know that astronomy and astrology just aren't the same thing.

December 13, 2007 11:48 AM
chipdatajeffB said:

Even my mother-in-law makes this mistake! She tells people I'm an astronomer, but when she refers to what I know or do it's always "astrology" ... and she was a Phi Beta Kappa in college (of course, that was 60 years ago ...

It is frustrating.

My wife's best friend is a true believer in the power of astrology, and no amount of coaching or correcting will convince her otherwise.

The worst, for me, is when people at a public outreach event want to know about strange planetary alignments, and what I plan to do in 2012 when the world will end because the Mayan calendar says it will ... Some people just believe wierd things.

December 15, 2007 7:40 AM