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Basic Information
Basic Information
Astronomy is the study of the Stars and space. There were many great astronomers studying in ancient India. They had a very robust calendar. There were several ancient texts important to astronomy
Astronomers
Astronomers
-Painting of Aryabhata
Aryabhata
Aryabhata
The Father of Epicyclic astronomy. He was the first of the hindu astronomers to explain planetary movement with epicycles
-Painting of Bragmagupta
Bragmagupta
Bragmagupta
Author of the Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta. He used a type of sundial called a Gnomon to track the movements of celestial bodies
-Painting of Baudhayana
Baudhāyana
Baudhāyana
A mathematician who used geometry to chart the cosmos. He developed an early version of gravity called "gurutvākarṣaṇ".
Calendar
Calendar
They had a very robust calendar. It had 360 days divided into 12 months of 30 days. Every 5 years there were two intercalary periods to get it back on track. It was divided into a northern course beginning on the winter solstice called Uttarāyana, and a southern course beginning on the summer solstice called Dakṣiṇāyana.
Astronomical texts
Astronomical texts
The Jyotisa Vedanga was the first of the Vedic texts to use astronomical data, tracking events from as far back as 4,000 B.C.E.. The Siddhantas tracked the solar year. The Yantrarāja was the first to describe the Astrolabe and the Gnomon
Impacts
Impacts
Impact on India
Impact on India
Like other cultures India ascribed mythical figures to celestial bodies and stars. The astronomers we mentioned earlier also made many advancements in maths, as you'll see in the mathematics part of this website
Impact on other civilizations
Impact on other civilizations
The study of astronomy in ancient India laid the foundations for every civilization after it. Without the work of Indian astronomers, we wouldn't be as knowledgeable about our universe as we are now.
Other Resources
Other Resources
This website talks about a broad range of topics relating to Indian astronomy, including their calendar, texts, and astronomers
This website talks about several astronomers and how astronomy influenced India's architecture.
This website talks about astronomical text, astronomers, and tools used in astronomy
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