diff --git a/test_fms/astronomy/test_astronomy.F90 b/test_fms/astronomy/test_astronomy.F90
index 0b94a7f976..f514d3c434 100644
--- a/test_fms/astronomy/test_astronomy.F90
+++ b/test_fms/astronomy/test_astronomy.F90
@@ -271,8 +271,9 @@ subroutine check_answers( results, answers, whoami )
     implicit none
     real(TEST_AST_KIND_) :: answers, results
     character(*) :: whoami
+    integer, parameter   :: lkind = TEST_AST_KIND_
 
-    if (results.ne.answers) then
+    if (abs(results - answers) .gt. 1.0e-10_lkind) then
        write(*,*) 'EXPECTED ', answers, ' but computed ', results
        call mpp_error(FATAL, trim(whoami))
     end if