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One of the prominent astronomers and mathematicians in Indian history, Aryabhata, was born in 476 CE. He belonged to Pataliputra, present-day Patna. His major work includes Aryabhatiya, which introduced the number zero and place value system and other mathematical concepts like trigonometry.
The content of Aryabhata’s book contains 13 introductory verses and 108 main verses and is divided into four chapters. In the fourth part, he talks about eclipses and the effect of shadows of the Sun and Moon.
Aryabhatta: Personal Life
The founder of the zero and place value system, Aryabhata, was born in 476 CE and lived up to 550 CE. He was an inhabitant of Pataliputra, present-day Patna in Bihar. He graduated from the University of Nalanda.
Aryabhata explained the phenomena of lunar and solar eclipses, calculated the approximations for Pi and made an effort to measure the earth’s circumference.
Aryabhata gained fame as a professor of astronomy and was referred to as Acharya and Sarava-Sidhanta Guru.
History of eclipses in India
In Indian culture, people have always regarded eclipses as a bad omen and have always viewed them as something that might bring bad luck. Rig Veda is one of the oldest books with a mention of eclipses through a folk tale that talks about how an asura (demon) Swarabhanu pricked the sun with darkness.
In another popular story of nectar churning, Swarabhanu is beheaded, and the bodiless head, Rahu, is said to cause eclipses.
How Aryabhatta decoded eclipses
Arybhata demonstrated that eclipses could be explained by the sun and moon’s shadows falling on the earth’s surface. By applying simple trigonometry on a geometric sphere with the help of points and lines, he accurately explained how planets reflected sunlight and the shadow of the moon. He represented eclipses in terms of shadows falling on the earth’s surface.
He figured out that the sun is 400 times farther from the earth than the moon. He observed that when the sun, moon and the earth form a straight line, the angles made by the sun’s light will only meet on the x and y-coordinates of the earth. He also explained that the moon and planets are radiated by the reflection of sunlight.
The astronomy structure explained and written by Aryabhatta is known as the AudAyaka system. Aryabhatta says that when the moon enters the earth’s shadow, this phenomenon is called a lunar eclipse. He also explains the perimeter of the earth’s shadow, which gives the computation and the size of the eclipsed part during an eclipse.
Modern explanation of eclipses of the sun and moon
Eclipse of the sun
It is also called solar eclipse and occurs when the new moon comes in between the path of the sun and earth, obstructing the rays of the sun reaching the earth’s surface, which makes a shadow on the surface of the earth. As the moon is smaller in size, it cannot cover the entire planet from the sun’s rays; hence a part of the earth’s surface is affected.
Eclipses of the moon
When the planetary position is such that the earth comes between the sun and the full moon, the earth blocks the sun’s rays from reaching the moon; this is called a lunar eclipse. It is only possible when the sun, earth and moon are precisely aligned in a single line such that the earth completely shadows the moon.
Misconceptions about eclipses of the sun and moon
In Indian culture, eclipses are considered a bad omen and many people actively avoid performing certain events and activities during eclipses.
Many people believe that the rays emitted during eclipses are harmful to humans and other living organisms.
The most prevalent misconception about eclipses is that looking at an eclipse might blind a person. Though looking directly at a solar eclipse with the naked eye can be harmful due to sudden changes in the intensity of light reaching our eyes, we can observe an eclipse by wearing sunglasses and many other ways.
Conclusion
Aryabhata was one of the most prominent scholars in Indian history who was a mathematician and an astronomer; he was a man ahead of his time. He documented the lunar and solar eclipses, derived Pi estimates and attempted to calculate the earth’s circumference.
He studied the solar and lunar eclipses and accurately ascribed the illumination of the moon and planets to reflected sunlight by using a simple trigonometry geometric sphere with the help of points and lines.
He calculated that the sun is 400 times farther away from the earth than the moon and that when the moon, sun and the earth form a straight line, the angles created by the sun’s light will only meet the earth’s x and y-coordinates. He also stated that the moon and planets radiate by sunlight reflection.
