Catholic Scientist writes:
Astrology attributes it to extraterrestrial activity, you know, planets n’stuff. That seems paranormal to me. How could something extraterrestrial affect your personality? Because of its gravity?
It can't be due to gravity because such forces are incredibly insignificant. This is because the force of gravity is equal to the mass of each object (m1, m2) times the universal gravitational constant (y)and the unit vector directed from m1 to m2 (r1) divided by the radius between m1 and m2 squared.
F=-y(m1)(m2)r1/(r)(r)
Obviously the distance to a planet, be it Mars or Pluto (is Pluto still a planet?, has Sedna moved into the house of Gemini?) is so great, dividing any number by the square of distance is going to make F ridiculously small. Particularly since the gravitational constant (= 6.67300 10-11 m3 kg-1 s-2) is also very small.
Way back in 1979, I was introduced to gravitational methods in geophysics. According to this science the only measurable gravitational influences at any point on the surface of the Earth are due to latitude, topography, elevation, Earth tides, and variations in subsurface density. Earth tides are of course due to the moon and sun, the moon because it is much closer and the sun because it is so much more massive. Have you ever seen a tide chart that factored in any planets?
Therefore if any effect on humans were due to gravity, one would need a chart that also factored in latitude, topography, elevation, and subsurface density. It would take a geophysicist just to plot your astrological chart!
Of course, I have never met a geophysicist that believed in astrology so one may have to get Baumgardner or channel Morris to get an accurate reading as they seem to be (or were) game for supporting any anti-scientific cult behavior.
Edited by anglagard, : Eek, astronomical replaced by astrological chart, lucky im still alive
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