Sources
Data sources and evidence hierarchy
How we label astronomical data, public birth records, interpretive references, and unresolved provenance.A source is useful only when readers can tell what claim it supports. AstroMaster does not treat all links, biographies, or AI-generated summaries as equally reliable.Last updated · Aug 24, 2026Source hierarchy
We rank primary records and reproducible data first, then specialist sources with published methods, then reputable secondary sources that cite their own. A weaker source doesn't become reliable just because many pages repeat it.
- Primary: official records, original publications, direct statements, and reproducible astronomical data.
- Specialist: established databases and reference works with visible methodology.
- Secondary: reputable biographies or reporting that identify their own sources.
- Unverified: unsourced social posts, copied tables, anonymous claims, or generated summaries without provenance.
Celebrity birth data
When available, celebrity profiles show a Rodden Rating or equivalent source note, so you can tell a documented birth time from a reported or speculative one.
- A precise-looking time isn't necessarily reliable.
- When sources conflict, the profile shows the conflict instead of quietly picking the most convenient value.
- When a record is corrected, we update the profile and its revision date.
Editorial and AI-assisted content
AI assistance is not evidence. Factual claims still need a traceable source or a reproducible calculation, and interpretive claims must be presented as interpretation.
- We check generated text for invented facts, false precision, and absolute predictions.
- Source lists explain what each source is used for. They're not decoration.
- When verification is incomplete, we say so and narrow the claim.
External references
- Astro-Databank Rodden RatingsExplanation of birth-data reliability categories.
- IANA Time Zone DatabaseReference for historical time-zone rules.