There's an interesting interview with Sobel on National Public Radio where she discusses the book and addresses some of your issues:

http://www.sciencefriday.com/pages/2...r2_102706.html

She seemed surprised that her "Creationist" analogies in chapter one were taken so literally. She was a bit bemused that she won an award from a religious group for that chapter.

I didn't get the impression that her discussion on astrology was deadly serious; I think she was just being a bit playful but also drawing on the ancient mythic connotations of astrology to put the story of planetary exploration into its mythical and historical contexts. I mean seriously, would someone who truly believed in the efficacy of astrology draw up a horoscope for a spacecraft?

Oh, and re: Galileo horoscope; she says in the interview that Galileo cast it himself, but she took it to an astrologer to have it interpreted.

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There is a growing tendancy to think of Man as a rational, thinking being, which is absurd.- Marvin the Martian.

It's gotten to the point where careful investigation is needed just to tell parody from reality. I think that means reality is broken.- Noclevername.