Chart technique · 7 min read
Astrology orbs: how close does an aspect need to be?
What an orb measures, why tighter aspects usually speak louder and how to choose consistent limits for natal charts and transits.
Published 28 August 2026
An orb is distance from exactness
An exact square is ninety degrees. If two planets are eighty-eight degrees apart, the square has an orb of two degrees. Orbs let astrologers treat an aspect as active before and after mathematical exactness rather than as a single instant.
In general, the tighter the orb, the stronger and more noticeable the aspect. The Sun and Moon are often allowed wider natal orbs, while minor aspects and transit work usually use narrower ones. Different schools set different limits.
Choose rules before interpreting
A workable natal approach might allow roughly eight degrees for conjunctions and oppositions, six for squares and trines, and four for sextiles, with adjustments for luminaries. It is a convention, not a law of nature. State your method and apply it consistently.
For fast daily transits, tighter orbs keep the reading relevant. A one-degree Moon aspect describes a shorter window than a wide five-degree claim. Slow planets may remain near exactness longer, but that does not make every loose contact equally important.
Prioritise the aspects that repeat
When a chart is crowded, begin with the closest major aspects, especially those involving the Sun, Moon, chart ruler or angles. A wider aspect may still matter when it completes a visible pattern or repeats a theme found elsewhere.
Avoid widening the orb after you decide you want an interpretation to fit. Technique should constrain the story. If an aspect sits outside your chosen limit, call it background at most and look for stronger chart evidence.