Orb measures distance from exactness
If an aspect has an exact angle of 120° and the current angular distance is 118.6°, its orb is 1.4°. An orb of 0° is exact. The calculator compares that distance with the working range configured for the aspect.
Working ranges differ by aspect and technique. Astro Legacy uses product-defined values for calculation; they should not be presented as the only correct orbs for every astrological school.
Applying and separating
| Phase | What is happening |
|---|---|
| Applying | The current motion is bringing the aspect closer to exactness |
| Exact | The angular distance reaches the target angle within calculation tolerance |
| Separating | The aspect has passed exactness and is moving away |
Applying is not automatically better or stronger in every interpretive sense. It describes direction. Separating does not mean irrelevant: a slow planet can remain close to exactness for a meaningful period after the peak.
What exactDate means
Astro Legacy searches the selected horizon for the calculated moment of closest exactness and returns it as exactDate. The value is a timestamp produced by the transit calculation, not simply the request date and not a generated narrative estimate.
An exact date can be absent when:
- the aspect does not perfect within the horizon;
- the motion does not provide a reliable future crossing;
- required position data is unavailable;
- the active relationship belongs mainly to a past or wider cycle.
Repeated exact passes
Retrograde motion can create three familiar phases: a direct pass, a retrograde return and another direct pass. Each can have its own exact date. Read them as connected parts of one wider cycle rather than three unrelated predictions.
Reading the timeline
Start with the current orb and phase, then compare the exact date, start/end window and planet speed. A near-exact Moon aspect can be brief. A slow outer-planet aspect at the same orb can remain active much longer.
Use aspects for the angle’s form and retrograde planets for repeated passes.
Common questions
Is the smallest orb always the most important transit?
No. Exactness matters, but planet, aspect, natal target, houses and duration also affect prioritization.
Is exactDate the day something must happen?
No. It marks the calculated geometric peak. Astrology does not guarantee a specific event at that timestamp.
Why can an applying aspect have a later date outside the visible short table?
The display period and full analysis horizon are separate. A row can be active now while its exact peak lies later in the searched horizon.