Page 4 - Oct-Dec 2016

Did you know?
Amazing Astronomy “It(Hindu religion) is the only religion in which
Carl Sagan, a well-known astronomer said
the time scales correspond to those of modern
Astronomy is one of the most well - documented departments of scientific cosmology. Its cycles run from our
Indian sciences. Hindu Astronomy being one of the most ancient ordinary day and night to a day and night of
astronomical systems is based on sidereal calculations. Brahma, 8.64 billion years long”.
Harappan Rings
Hiranyagarbha Story
The traces of the earliest form
of observational astronomy hiranyagarbha in sanskrit means a ‘golden embryo’
are found from Mohenjo Daro. and in hindu philosophy is the source of the creation
archaeologists have found of the universe. The Matsya Purāna (2.25-30) gives an
ring-shaped objects that have account of initial creation.
small drilled holes on them
which were probably used to
track the sun’s path through Siddhantika Astronomy
the year.
siddhanta literally means
Vedic Astronomy proven in the end. when the
sun and moon movement
The earliest references of advancement in the field of oriented astronomy took a
astronomy are found in the rig Veda. There is evidence in mathematical turn, the texts
the rig Veda of the knowledge of the axial rotation and from this era came to be
annual revolution of the earth. it was known that these known as siddhantika texts.
were caused by the sun. it also mentions the inclinations
of the ecliptic with the equator and the axis of the earth. This era started with
The apparent annual course of the sun is divided into aryabhata and his work
two halves–the uttarayana, when around 500 Ce. aryabhatiya, Illustration by: Vanshika
Bashodia, VIII, Adarsh Bal Niketan,
the sun goes northwards and was the first accurately dated Sr. Sec. School, Jhunjhunu
the daksinayana, when it goes and complied work by a single
southwards. author.

The Jyotisa Vedanga by lagadha Panchsiddhantika are the five siddhantas arranged in
is the first known Vedic text to order of astronomical accuracy by Varahmihira. These
mention astronomical data and were Paitamaha, Vasistha, romaka, Paulisa and surya. The
records events going back as far as siddhantika astronomical tradition was alive till as late as
4000 bCe. 1825, when John warren found a 'Calendar maker residing
in Puducherry' who showed him how to compute a lunar
Sreenibha Maddikunta, X, Bharatiya Illustration by: Geetika
Vidya Bhavan’s Public School, Jubilee Hills, Gunjan eclipse by shells placed on the ground!!
Hyderabad

Sun story EARLY ECLIpSE
"Sarva Dishanaam, Suryaha, Suryaha, Suryaha."
The earliest record of an eclipse
This couplet in Sanskrit is from the rig Veda, but it was
from the Veda means aryabhata who formed a formal
that there are suns in theory on eclipses. The above page
all directions. Indian from Panchsiddhantika shows how
astronomers had arrived eclipse was to be calculated and this
at an important discovery was thousand years before western
that the stars visible at astronomers discovered the same!
night are similar to the Sun
visible during day time.

Border illustration by: Medhavani, X, Suditi Global Academy, Etawah

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