Orbs: how close an aspect has to be
An orb is the tolerance around an exact angle. Small differences in orb rules explain differences between tools.
Bibliothèque éditoriale — ces articles de référence sont rédigés en anglais.
Tolerance around an ideal angle
Most aspects describe ideal angles: 90° for a square, 120° for a trine, and so on. Real chart points seldom land exactly on those numbers, so a method allows a margin called an orb — for example, a square might be counted when two points are within a chosen number of degrees of 90°.
Why two tools disagree
- Different traditions assign different default orbs to different aspects.
- Some methods scale the orb by the planets involved.
- Some count an aspect that is "applying" (getting closer) differently from one that is "separating".
Reading an orb value
A smaller orb generally means the angle is closer to exact. An orb is a numeric measure of angular distance, not a measure of importance in a person's life. NaYinTop displays the computed geometry and labels AI-written interpretation; none of it is a prediction or professional advice.