Indian  Astronomy IV 

                                               

                                                                                                         Regulus or Makha 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ahargana is defined as the no of days elapsed after the start of the Iron Age, the Kali Yuga, which began on 3102 BC.

 
Kali Era = English Era +3102
 
The no of days elapsed from Kali Start was 1822903 on 01/01/1890.
 
Hence
 
Ahargana, d = ( xdate - 01/01/1980 ) + 1822903
 
where xdate is the date of birth.
 
This Ahargana is printed on every V A Horoscope. All calculations in Indian Astronomy are based on Ahargana. Ahas means day in Sanskrit and gana means calculation.
 
The present Kali Era is therefore
 
3102 + 2010 = 5112
 
The difference between the Malayalam & English eras are 825. Malayalam Era is 1185 now and if you add 825 to Malayalam Era, you get English Era.
 
Malayalam Era  + 825 = English Era

 

 

 
The Julian Calender used the value 365.25 d ( days ) for year and was proved erroneous. There were 10 days difference and the Gregorian Calender, the present day Calender, came into being. Gregorian uses 365.2425 d for year. The Gregorian is also not perfect, as the Tropical Zodiac is moving, and may be subject to correction after some years. The actual value of the year is
 
year = 365.256362424815 d
 
with twelve decimals. In my early days of progam development, I used two decimals and there were many days of difference. This value is given by Sir Simon Newcombe, according to Western Learning and Aryabhata, according to Indian learning.
 
In Indian Astronomy, the great Jupiter - Saturn perturbation, is calculated using the formula given below.
 
The Kali year, ky, is calculated and 4660 is deducted from it to get the kyb, the kali year balance. Its Bhujamsa,x is calculated using the Equation of Bhuja and then its Bhujajya ( Sin x ) is calculated to get the value of Manda Phala, a.
 
Mathematically, it can be written as
 
Y, (Year of Birth) + 3102 = ky, the Kali Year of Birth
 
kyb ( kali year balance ) = ( ky - 4660 )
 
x = kyb*360/918
 
b, bhujajya = sin(x)
 
Since the duration is 918 years and perturbation amplitude is 1187 seconds,
 
Manda Phala, a = sin(x) * 1187
 
( Example - My year of birth is 1955. Add 3102 and we get 5057. Less 4660 is 397. 397*360/918 is 155.6 and its Bhujamsa is 25 degrees roughly ( 180-155). So Sin (25 ) is 0.41. Manda Phala, therefore is 0.41*1187 seconds or Vikalas. )
 
This value, Manda Phala, a is added to Jupiter’s mean longitude, if Jove’s long is less than 180 and subtracted if Jove’s long is greater than 180.
 
In the West, this discovery is attributed to Laplace. The duration of the perturbation of 918 years is known as Laplace period. Its amplitude of .332 degrees is similar to the Indian value of 1187 seconds.
 
Laplace gives the equation 2 nj - 5 ns + constant, bringing to light the 5:2 Resonance in the orbits of the two celestial giants. 2 revolutions of Saturn = 5 revolutions of Jupiter = 60 years !
 
 

Celestial Mechanics 

The common perception of Celestial Mechanics is that of a discipline which needs advanced mathematics and astronomy to be understood. Yet modern Celestial Mechanics has a rather different taste and a truly
 
interdisciplinary nature. The number of celestial objects known to mankind has dramatically increased, the long-awaited presence of extrasolar planets has been eventually detected around other stars, spaceflight dynamics has brought new applications encompassing rocked dynamics, the place-in-orbit of artificial satellites and interplanetary mission design. Solar System exploration has grown as a long term strategy for the construction of a permanent base on the Moon and a manned mission to Mars.The aim of the book is to show to the people at large, as well as to a more skilled audience, the many fascinating aspects of modern celestial mechanics. After giving to the reader the necessary technical tools needed for a basic understanding of the underlying physical phenomena (using only elementary mathematics), facts and figures are provided on historical events, modern discoveries and future applications. Contents are divided into major topics where the three "souls" of modern celestial mechanics (dynamical systems, Solar System & stellar systems, spaceflight dynamics) play a major role. As an example, spin-orbit resonances can be explained using fractional algebra and subsequently described in action as "cosmic spinning tops". Easily observable effects such as the existence of a "dark side of the Moon" (and of many other satellites) can be compared to the "complete synchronous rotation" achieved by a geostationary telecommunication satellite in order to be always in view of the receiving parabolas on the ground. On longer time scales, the consequences of spin-orbit interaction may dramatically change the evolution of a planet when chaos enters the scene and must be taken into account in searching habitable planets around other stars.