Computed, not invented
Every position we show — moon phase, moon sign, sun sign, lunations — is calculated live from standard astronomical formulae. Where our accuracy has limits, we state the limit instead of hiding it.
The Observatory · What We Are
How we treat the sky.
Astrarium is an observatory, not an oracle. We treat astrology as what it actually is — a four-thousand-year-old symbolic language for reflection — and we keep it strictly separate from the astronomy, which is real, measurable, and sourced. This page explains exactly where that line sits, so you always know which one you are reading.
No predictions, ever
We will never tell you that you will meet someone, get the job, or should make a decision. Astrology here describes symbolism and asks questions — it does not forecast outcomes or issue instructions.
The line is always drawn
Real astronomy is labelled as astronomy. Symbolic tradition is labelled as tradition. When the two appear on the same page — and they often do — you will always be able to tell which is which.
Plate · The Position
What we do and do not claim.
Astrology is not a science. There is no demonstrated physical mechanism by which the positions of planets influence human personality or events, and controlled studies have not found the effects astrology proposes. We are not going to pretend otherwise on a page and then sell you a forecast on the next one.
What astrology is, and what makes it worth this much care, is one of the oldest symbolic systems humans ever built — a shared vocabulary of archetypes, refined across Babylon, Alexandria, the medieval Islamic world, and modern psychology, that people still find genuinely useful for reflection. A Scorpio placement will not determine your life. But "where in my life am I unwilling to let go?" is a good question, and the tradition is very old at asking it.
So we build Astrarium the way you would build a good museum of a living tradition: the artefacts presented beautifully and accurately, the history told honestly, the science kept clearly separate, and the visitor trusted to think for themselves.
Plate · Editorial Standards
Our working rules.
Astronomy
Real and checkable. Star names, distances, spectral types, constellation facts, meteor showers and orbital mechanics are drawn from established observational astronomy and checked against published reference sources. Stellar distances are given as approximations because the underlying parallax measurements carry real uncertainty — Antares, for example, is usually quoted between 550 and 600 light-years, and we say about 550 rather than pretending to a precision the data does not have.
Calculations
Live, from formulae. Sun and Moon positions use standard astronomical algorithms. We check them two ways: against an independent reimplementation of the same formulae, and by spot-checking results against published values. Small approximations remain, and we state their tolerance where they matter. Rising signs and full planetary positions require an ephemeris engine we have not yet built — so we tell you that rather than approximating badly.
Symbolism
Traditional, attributed, not asserted as fact. Myths are told as myths. Sign meanings are presented as what the tradition holds, not as claims about you. Where traditions disagree — such as the tropical and sidereal zodiacs — we show the disagreement instead of picking a side silently.
Health, money, law
Out of scope, permanently. Astrarium will not offer medical, financial, legal, or psychological advice, and will never suggest that a chart should inform such a decision. If something in your life needs a professional, it needs a professional.
Your data
Stays in your browser. Birth details you enter into our tools are used to compute a result on your own device. Small preferences, such as your discovery progress, are stored locally in your browser and can be cleared at any time.
No dark patterns
Nothing manufactured. No fake scarcity, no countdown pressure, no fear-based framing, no "warnings" about a transit. The engagement here is meant to come from the material being good, not from anxiety.
Corrections
Fixed and dated. If a factual or astronomical error is found, we correct it and update the page's modified date. Pages carry visible published and updated dates so you can see how current they are.
Plate · Sources
Where the astronomy comes from.
Star data
Distances, spectral classes, and coordinates cross-checked against standard star references, including Encyclopaedia Britannica, the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, EarthSky, and constellation reference catalogues derived from Hipparcos and Gaia parallax data.
Solar & lunar positions
Computed from standard low-precision algorithms for the Sun's and Moon's ecliptic longitude — the same class of formulae published in astronomical almanacs for naked-eye accuracy. Good to roughly a degree for the Moon; better for the Sun.
Planetary positions
Computed from mean Keplerian orbital elements with secular rates (the standard J2000 element set used for approximate planetary positions), solved with Kepler's equation. Accurate to a fraction of a degree for inner planets over a few centuries; rougher for outer planets and distant dates.
Sky positions
Altitude and azimuth derived from Greenwich Mean Sidereal Time and standard spherical astronomy. Geometric only — atmospheric refraction near the horizon is not modelled, and no computation can know your local weather or light pollution.
Mythology & tradition
Greco-Roman myth as preserved in classical sources such as Ovid, Hyginus and Aratus; Mesopotamian sky-lore from Babylonian constellation scholarship; astrological correspondences from Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos and the later Western tradition. Presented as tradition, never as fact.
Corrections made
Our share cards originally described each sign’s featured star as its brightest. That is accurate for eleven signs but not for Pisces, where the traditional knot star Alrescha is outshone by Eta Piscium. Corrected July 2026.
Known limitations
We do not yet compute rising signs or a full planetary ephemeris inside the birth chart, and we say so on the tool itself rather than approximating badly. Stellar distances carry genuine scientific uncertainty. Where a figure is disputed between sources, we prefer the more conservative value and mark it as approximate.
Plate · Begin
New here? Start at the beginning.
There is a guided route through the observatory — the grammar first, then the tools, then the deep water.