Aspects and orbs

The angles between planets, and the honest question of how close is close enough.

An aspect is an angular relationship: two bodies separated by a fraction of the circle. The classical five are the conjunction (0°), sextile (60°), square (90°), trine (120°) and opposition (180°) — the circle divided by one, six, four, three and two.

Exact aspects are rare, so each is allowed a margin called an orb. Orb conventions vary widely between astrologers, and a wide orb will find an aspect almost anywhere. This site allows 8° for conjunctions and oppositions, 7° for squares and trines, 5° for sextiles, widened for the Sun and Moon and narrowed for calculated points.

Transits use much tighter orbs — 30% of the natal figure, capped at 2.5°. The reasoning is that a natal aspect is a standing feature of a chart while a transiting one is a dated event, and an event needs a date rather than a season.

Every aspect here is listed with its orb, so you can see how much is being claimed. An opposition at 0.1° and one at 7.9° are both drawn, and they are not the same thing.