An orb measures closeness
An orb measures how close an aspect is to exact. If one person's Venus is at 14 degrees and the other person's Mars is at 15 degrees in a trine relationship, the orb is one degree. If the same trine is seven degrees away from exact, it is still present, but it is usually less dominant.
In relationship astrology, this matters because synastry charts can contain many aspects. Without a way to prioritize them, the chart can start to feel like a list instead of a reading.
Tight aspects tend to repeat
The tightest contacts often describe dynamics that repeat across time. They may show up in first impressions, recurring emotional themes, familiar arguments, or the way two people keep finding their way back to a certain kind of closeness.
This does not mean loose aspects are meaningless. A wider Venus-Jupiter sextile can still add warmth. A wider Mercury-Saturn square can still describe careful or strained communication. But when you are trying to identify the core story of the connection, tight contacts deserve attention first.
Planet importance also matters
Orb is not the only factor. A tight contact between two outer planets may be less personal than a slightly wider aspect involving the Moon, Venus, Mars, Mercury, Sun, or Ascendant. Personal planets tend to describe dynamics people feel in daily life.
This is why a good reading weighs both closeness and symbolism. A one-degree Moon-Venus aspect will usually matter more emotionally than a one-degree Uranus-Pluto aspect shared by many people born around the same period.
How StarFable uses orbs
StarFable uses orb tightness to estimate aspect strength. Exact contacts count most strongly, and looser contacts still contribute without overwhelming the rest of the chart. This helps the compatibility scores reflect the aspects most likely to be felt.
The goal is not mathematical certainty. The goal is readable emphasis. The chart should help you see which patterns deserve the most attention before you move into the finer details.
Related chart guides
Keep reading the pattern
Read your own chart
The clearest way to understand a pattern is to see where it appears in your own relationship chart.
Create a Compatibility Chart