Hindu/Sanatan Dharma scholars have made groundbreaking contributions to astronomy and space science over thousands of years. Many of these discoveries influenced later scientific advancements worldwide. Here are some of the most significant contributions:
- Heliocentrism – Earth Revolves Around the Sun
📜 Aryabhata (476–550 CE) was the first to propose that:
The Earth rotates on its axis, causing day and night.
The Earth revolves around the Sun – centuries before Copernicus (1543 CE).
The Moon shines due to reflected sunlight.
- Calculation of Earth’s Circumference & Shape
📜 Varahamihira (505–587 CE) stated that:
The Earth is spherical (not flat), contradicting earlier beliefs.
He refined Aryabhata’s calculations on planetary positions.
📜 Brahmagupta (598–668 CE) calculated Earth’s diameter and circumference with remarkable accuracy.
- Eclipses & Planetary Motion
📜 Aryabhata and Varahamihira correctly explained that:
Lunar Eclipse is caused by Earth’s shadow on the Moon.
Solar Eclipse occurs when the Moon blocks the Sun.
Opposed the belief that eclipses were caused by “demons.”
- Concept of Gravity – Before Newton
📜 Brahmagupta (7th century CE) first stated that:
Objects are pulled toward the Earth due to an attractive force.
He called it “Gurutvaakarshan” (gravity), 1,000 years before Newton (1687).
- Calculation of Pi (π) & Planetary Orbits
📜 Aryabhata & Madhava (1340–1425 CE) calculated:
Pi (π) value (~3.1416), improving Greek estimates.
Planetary orbits using trigonometric calculations.
- Measuring Time in Cosmic Scale
📜 Hindu cosmology accurately defined:
Yugas (Cosmic Time Cycles) – used for calculating astronomical ages.
Sidereal Year (Time for Earth to orbit the Sun) – calculated close to modern values.
Speed of Light – Ancient texts like the Rig Veda and Sayanacharya (14th century CE) suggested that sunlight travels at immense speed.
- Development of Astronomical Instruments
📜 Jantar Mantar (1724 CE) – Built by Maharaja Jai Singh II, it is the world’s largest stone observatory, featuring:
Samrat Yantra – A giant sundial measuring time with 2-second accuracy.
Yantras for planetary tracking.
- Influence on Islamic, Greek, and Western Astronomy
Hindu astronomy heavily influenced Islamic astronomers like Al-Biruni (973–1048 CE), who translated Indian texts.
The Greek mathematician Ptolemy borrowed from Hindu astronomical calculations.
Concepts from Indian astronomy were later integrated into European Renaissance science.
Conclusion
Sanatan scholars pioneered astronomy, planetary motion, gravity, and time measurement long before the West. Their discoveries shaped global space science and modern astrophysics.
