To put it generously, astrology has yet to meet the scientific burden of proof, but that doesn’t mean everything on Earth is unsusceptible to the position of the planets. New research suggests the heavens play a direct role in one major geopolitical and economic area: the location and size of shale oil deposits.
You’ve seen a model of the solar system, with all eight planets (R.I.P. Pluto) revolving around the sun in tidy orbits, but things are actually messier than that. Because planets exert a bit of gravitational tug on one another, their orbits can get a bit warped.
For Earth, the pull of Jupiter and Saturn in particular can stretch its orbit into a more oval shape, something that occurs at regular intervals spanning 100,000 years. Known as the Milankovitch cycles for the Serbian astronomer who discovered them, these variations in Earth’s orbit affect how much solar radiation reaches our planet, which in turn affects the climate—and much, much more. New research published in the Journal of Palaeogeography shows these cycles can also affect the deposition of petroleum-rich shale rock.
Read more: “Why Astrology Matters”
Scientists from China University of Petroleum studying Jurassic mudstones in China’s Sichuan Basin were able to detect Milankovitch cycles in the shale-rich sedimentary rock, deposited in ancient lake beds over tens of millions of years. Periods of high eccentricity resulted in warmer, wetter climates, and deposition of more organic material, while periods of low eccentricity resulted in drier climates, lower lake levels, and less organic material.
They say this new research will help locate shale deposits in continental basins, one of the biggest obstacles to shale oil production for petroleum companies seeking to meet rising global energy demand.
Maybe astrology was on to something after all. 
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Lead image: brian jackson 007 and WhataWin / Shutterstock
