1

UNDERSTANDING ASTRONOMY (An Astrologers Guide)

T.K. CHANDRA SHEKHAR

-------------PREFACE -------------Astronomy is a science dealing with the motion of natural objects in space. Their motion is a little difficult to visualize and a lot more difficult to analyze mathematically. This book makes an attempt to help any beginner to come to a basic level of understanding of the concepts involved without the usage of much mathematics. To specifically aid Astrologers, for whom a fundamental knowledge of Astronomy is essential, an effort has been made to correlate the Astrological terms with those of Astronomy wherever possible. I thank the LORD without whose blessings this book could not have been written. I also thank my colleagues at the School of Astrological Sciences, Mysore without whose encouragement this book would not have been written. Author

CONTENTS Introduction Motion of objects in space Conjunction and Opposition Retrogression Basic Astronomical terms Motion of Earth Motion of Moon Motion of other Planets Other Astronomical Terms Rising, Setting & Combustion Upagrahas Time Panchanga Hindu Astronomy Astronomical Milestones Annexures --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------05 10 13 18 21 26 34 41 46 51 54 56 64 71 73 74

---------------------------------------Introduction ---------------------------------------Aster means a star. Both Astronomy and Astrology deal with stars. While the former is concerned with their position and motion, the latter deals with the effects of such position or motion on life. A basic knowledge of Astronomy is, therefore, essential for a study of Astrology. For a very long time, the Earth was thought to be Spherical and at the Center of the Universe. All other objects were thought to be revolving round it. Initial ideas of the rotation of the Earth about its axis and the revolution of Earth around the Sun came from the Greeks in the initial centuries A.D. During this period movement of stars were recorded systematically and catalogues of such motions were documented. However, it was only after 1400 A.D that systematic experimental studies were conducted. These studies laid the foundation for the knowledge of Astronomy that is available today. Modern Astronomers have vastly improved upon this foundation. They are aided in this process by much improved and powerful equipments. They also have powerful computers for quick analysis of data. Humans have actually succeeded in landing on the Moon and bring back physical objects from there for further research. They are now racing towards deeper exploration of other far off objects. No wonder then that we, as a human race, have started to think of our species as being very powerful and capable of many big achievements. But are we really so powerful? Read on. Just for a moment, assume you live in a palatial building and pride yourself about the same. You like to show off your house to others and stress on the fact that the house is huge. Assume also that you

are made capable (somehow) of flying vertically upwards and downwards. Start flying up! As you go higher and higher, your house starts to become smaller and smaller. Soon, it becomes unidentifiable even in your neighborhood. Keep going up and the neighborhood becomes unidentifiable within the town. The town soon merges to the district, the district to the state and the state to the country. From still higher, you see countries merging and soon you see the whole Earth as a spherical ball. Still higher will make the ball itself become a speck in the universe. Where is your big house now? Nowhere in sight and absolutely unrecognizable. As this stark truth hits you, just pause to ponder that you have covered only a small fraction of your seemingly endless upward journey ! You also realize that the Earth which you call as very firm (Terra Firma) is, in fact, simply floating in space. Held by NOTHING !! Frightening, isnt it? You will also see it rotating about its own axis and also moving swiftly in free space like an automobile on a highway. Where is it going? What is true for the Earth is also true for all objects in the universe. The universe is full of floating objects. Each object is exerting its own influence (what is now scientifically called gravitational attraction) on its neighbors. Thus there is a totally interdependent system of forces which are holding all objects together as one unit. Since the distances between the floating objects are extremely large and the attractive forces reduces in proportion to the square of the distance between the objects, these interdependent forces alone cant hold all the moving and rotating floating objects firmly together for long periods. A lot of balancing is needed. There must be some stronger force acting on each object. Ages before the Scientists and Philosophers, our sages DIVINED (They had no instruments and equipments that we have today) that many of the objects in the universe revolve round a central object. As is known today scientifically, revolution around a center exerts

an outward force on the revolving object. (For e.g. if you hold a bucket full of water in a stretched hand and revolve the bucket around the shoulder, the water will not spill out if the speed of revolution is fast enough). If this outward force is counter balanced by an opposing attractive force like the gravitational force, the object can be kept in position in free space. The central object mentioned above was called the SUN by our sages ( and is so called even today !) and the whole system which has the Sun at the center is called the Solar System (SOL means Sun). It is, in fact, OUR solar system. The stress on OUR is because there are millions of such SUNs and millions of such Solar systems in the universe. No one knows for sure how this whole complicated system came into existence. One theory which continues to be widely discussed is called the BIG-BANG theory. Some very huge explosion (Big Bang) took place in a rotating ball of fire. Due to this, an enormous amount of energy, gases and dust were ejected in all directions by the rotating fireball (Like the Vishnu Chakra lit in Diwali) as shown in FIG.1.

As the ejected entities moved farther and farther from the site of explosion, they cooled down and some of the gases and dust solidified to form objects (stars). Still in an outward spiraling

motion, these objects cooled further to become Planets. Solar systems then somehow emerged from these speeding objects, the major influence being the gravitational attractive forces between the objects. See FIG.2.

The entire solar system formed as above moves as a single unit in an outward spiral with the centre of the Big Bang as its Nucleus. The speed of travel is very huge but the distance that needs to be covered for a full spiral rotation round the nucleus is also huge. It would take 225 million years for our Sun to make this journey while travelling at Hundreds of Kms per Second. Each of the spirally expanding energy bundles is called a GALAXY (e.g. FA in FIG.1). What we call OUR Galaxy, OUR Solar system and OUR Sun (which, incidentally, is also a fireball), is one among millions of such systems in the universe. Just as the solar system is held together by the Sun, the millions of such systems are held together by the central FIREBALL. There are no answers to many serious questions at this stage. How did an unending energy get concentrated in the first place? Why did it burst? Does the fireball really have an unending energy? If not, for how long will it last? What is the guarantee that the whole

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system will not collapse? What happens if the system really collapses? The questions are endless. But surely, you would have got the answer to the question of power of humans. We humans consider ourselves to be very mighty when we are actually a microscopic miniscule of another microscopically miniscular part of this unimaginably huge and power packed universe, held together as a single entity by the mightiest of all, the ALMIGHTY. A little understanding of this complex system is the source of our power today. Let us now begin this fascinating study.

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-----------------------------------Motion of Objects in Space -----------------------------------The motion of an object in a solar system is best described by the path taken by that object in its revolution around the Sun. The revolution is COUNTERCLOCKWISE and the path is called the ORBIT of the object. It is now scientifically known that (Keplers Laws of Planetary motion) :
1.

The orbits are generally ELLIPTICAL. See FIG.3.

(Fix pins at any two points on a piece of paper. Tie a loose thread between the two pins. Stretch the thread using a pencil tip keeping the lead of the pencil on the paper. Move the pencil a full round around the pins. The path traced on the paper is an ellipse). It has two focal points (like the pins fixed on the paper). The line joining the two focii extending to the elliptical orbit is called the major axis. The axis perpendicular to this from the center of the ellipse is called the minor axis. The Sun is at one of the two focii. The point on the orbit closest to the Sun is called the PERIGEE and the farthest point is called the APOGEE.

S F1

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When the major and minor axis are equal in length, the orbits becomes circular.
2.

The line joining the Sun and the revolving object sweeps equal areas in equal times. See FIG.4.

OBJECT AT A This means that the Object moves faster when it is closer to TIME = T1
the Sun. It is fastest at Perigee and slowest at Apogee. In Hindu Astrology motion is referred to as CHARA. Varying speeds are indicated by the words ATICHARA, MANDA etc. 3. The square of the period of revolution of the object is proportional to the cube of its distance from the Sun. This means that the object nearer to the Sun has a smaller period of revolution. Among the number of objects in our Solar system, our sages identified SEVEN objects which have an influence on the lives of humans living on the Earth. These were called the SUN, MOON, MARS, MERCURY, JUPITER, VENUS and SATURN. Two non physical objects (to be explained later) called RAHU and KETU were also considered capable of influence. These NINE objects were called GRIHAs (PLANETs). The usage of the term Planet is not scientifically very correct for all the Nine objects but that is the term used in Astrology. In later years THREE more planets have

OBJECT AT TIME = T1+t

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been added to the list. These are URANUS, NEPTUNE and PLUTO. With the Sun at one Focii, the planets in the ascending order with reference to the distance from the Sun are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn (not considering Uranus, Neptune and Pluto at present). Earth has its orbit between those of Venus and Mars. The orbit of Earth is nearly circular. MOON revolves round the Earth. That is, the Earth is the focal point for the elliptical path of the Moon. The complete Solar System is shown in FIG.5.

The Sun is the only source of light in the Solar System. Other Planets simply reflect the light received from the Sun.

VE JUP

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--------------------------------------Conjunction and Opposition ---------------------------------------Look again at FIG5. The planets Mercury and Venus which have their orbits in between the Sun and the orbit of the Earth are called INFERIOR Planets or INNER Planets. The planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn (we will ignore planets beyond Saturn at present) which have their orbits beyond that of the Earth are called SUPERIOR Planets or OUTER Planets. Now consider the Sun, Earth and one more planet. We will first consider an inferior planet, say Mercury. The motion of Earth and Mercury around the stationary Sun is depicted in FIG6.

Initially assume that the orbital positions of Sun, Mercury and the Earth form a straight line. In such a position the planets are said to be in CONJUNCTION. In a conjunction, both the Sun and Mercury will be visible from the Earth in a STRAIGHT LINE and in the same DIRECTION. The conjunction is called INFERIOR CONJUNCTION when Mercury is between Earth and Sun. When the Sun is between Earth and Mercury the conjunction is called SUPERIOR CONJUNCTION.

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Starting from a Conjunction, consider the revolution of the Earth and Mercury. Since the orbit of Mercury is closer to the Sun than that of the Earth, Mercury completes its revolution around the Sun earlier compared to the Earth. The time taken by Mercury for this is called its SIDERAL PERIOD. But when Mercury completes a full revolution around the Sun, the Earth would also have completed a partial revolution around the Sun. As such, for the initial conjunction to happen again, an additional movement of Mercury and hence an additional time is needed. The interval of time between two similar conjunctions is called its SYNODIC PERIOD and this is always greater than its Sideral Period. Refer FIGs 7 and 8 for a pictorial representation of the above.

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Next, consider the Sun, Earth and a superior planet, say Jupiter. The motion of Earth and Jupiter around the stationary Sun is depicted in FIG 9.

Assume again that all the three planets are initially in a straight line. In such a position, the planets are said to be in SUPERIOR CONJUNCTION if the Sun and Jupiter are on the same side of the Earth. They are said to be in OPPOSITION if they are on opposite sides of the Earth. Since the superior planet cant come between the Earth and Sun, There CANT be an Inferior conjunction involving Superior planets. In the cases involving superior planets, the orbit of the Earth is closer to the Sun. As such, the Earth takes a lesser time to complete a revolution around the Sun than the Superior planet. Thus, when Earth completes a full revolution around the Sun, the Superior planet would have completed only a fraction of its revolution. Thus, a repeat of the original position would occur before the planet can complete a full revolution around the Sun. In this case too, the Synodic Period of Jupiter is the time interval between two oppositions or two conjunctions and the Sideral period is the time needed for a full revolution around the Sun. However, in this case, the Synodic Period of Jupiter is lesser than its Sideral Period (it is more for Mars). Refer FIGs 10 and 11 for a pictorial representation of the above.

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Both conjunctions and oppositions can occur between any two or more planets even if Sun is not involved. For e.g, a superior conjunction can occur between Mercury and Mars or an opposition can occur between Jupiter and Saturn while Jupiter can be conjunct with Mercury and Venus at the same time. A pictorial representation is given in FIG 12.

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It is sufficient to remember that a conjunction occurs when the planets involved are in a straight line from the center of the Earth in the same direction while opposition occurs if the planets involved are in a straight line from the center of the Earth but in opposite directions. In Astrology when planets are in conjunction, they are in the same HOUSE (RASI) of a chart. When they are in opposition, they fall in opposite Houses in the chart. When a Planet is conjunct with the Sun, it is said to be COMBUST (ASTA) since the rays of the Sun are more powerful than that of the Planet. When a Planet is conjunct with another Planet other than the Sun, a GRAHAYUDDHA (Planetary war) is said to occur.

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----------------------------------------Retrogression ----------------------------------------Astrologers talk of RETROGRADE (VAKRI) planets as well. As mentioned earlier, all planets move in a counterclockwise direction around the Sun always. Why then are planets called retrograde sometimes? The explanation is presented in the following paragraphs. First of all remember that five of the seven physical planets revolve around the sixth planet which is the Sun. So does the Earth. The Moon revolves round the Earth. (Rahu and Ketu are not physical planets and are not considered here. Details of these two non-physical planets will be discussed elsewhere in the book.) In Astrology, the position of planets are determined with reference to the center of the Earth. Assume a huge spherical screen (like a cinema screen) with the center of the sphere as the center of the Earth. The radius of the sphere is assumed to be much larger than the farthest planet. Imagine that a line is drawn from the center of the Earth to the center of each planet and the lines are extended to reach the inner surface of the screen. The angle measured at the center of the Earth which the line corresponding to a planet makes with respect to a reference line in a counterclockwise direction gives the angular position of the planet. (Where that reference line is to be drawn will be discussed later). By the way, you can now understand the position of planets mentioned with reference to conjunction ( same angle ) and opposition (opposite angles). With the above insight, it can be quickly understood that the Sun and Moon can have no retrograde motion. The two inferior planets and the three superior planets will only be considered now. We begin with an inferior planet, say Venus. Since Venus is a faster

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moving planet than the Earth, we will assume that the Earth is stationary and Venus is moving with a speed equal to the difference of speeds of Venus and Earth. We will study the motion of Venus with reference to the stationary Earth around the stationary Sun. We begin with the position of Superior Conjunction of Venus and Sun. Remembering that planets move anticlockwise, Venus will be initially seen drifting away from the Sun as it progresses through the points 1,2 and 3 in an anticlockwise direction (see FIG.13).

As it passes point 3 and goes through points 4,5 and 6, it will be seen to change its direction and move clockwise towards the Sun, reach an inferior conjunction, overtake the Sun and reach point 6. From point 7 onwards, it will again seem to move anticlockwise. The clockwise motion of Venus is called its Retrograde motion. For such a motion, the angular distance of the planet from the reference line decreases instead of increasing as in the case of normal anticlockwise motion of the planet. The case of Superior planets is similarly explained with reference to FIG 14.

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Since the Earth moves faster than the Superior planet, the planet is assumed to be stationary and the Earth is assumed to move with the difference of speeds of the Earth and the planet. As before, the revolution is around a stationary Sun and the direction of revolution is anticlockwise. Once again we begin with the position of Superior conjunction of the Sun and the Superior planet, say Saturn. As the Earth moves through points 1,2 and 3, Saturn seems to move in an anticlockwise direction. From point 4 till point 6, it will appear to change direction, move clockwise to reach Opposition and continue till point 6. From point 7 onwards, it will again seem to move anticlockwise. The clockwise motion of Saturn is called its Retrograde motion as in the case of inferior planets.

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----------------------------------------Basic Astronomical Terms ----------------------------------------It is time now for some more details. We begin with the Earth. The Earth is not fully spherical. It is flattened at two ends and slightly bulged at the central part. The centers of the flattened portions are called POLES. The line joining the two poles through the center of the Earth is called the POLAR AXIS (FIG.15).

For most discussions, however, the spherical shape is assumed. The average radius of the Earth is 6340 Kms. It weighs 6*1021 Tons. The locus of a point moving around another fixed point in such a way that the distance between the two is constant is called a circle. A circle encloses an angle of 360 DEGREES. Parts of this circle are called Arcs and these enclose fractions of 360 DEGREES. To enable fractions to be determined, smaller units of MINUTES and SECONDS are available. One Degree equals 60 Minutes of Arc while One Minute is 60 Seconds of Arc. The notations are: One Degree = 1o One Minute = 1 with 1o = 60

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One Second = 1

with

1 = 60

Any circle drawn with its center as the center of the Earth and radius equal to that of the Earth will cut the spherical Earth into two halves. Such circles are called GREAT CIRCLES. If the circle is drawn in a plane perpendicular to the N-S polar axis, the Great Circle is called the EQUATOR of the Earth (TERRESTRIAL EQUATOR). The Equator divides the Earth into two equal halves called HEMISPHERES. The portion containing the N-Pole is called the NORTHERN HEMISPHERE while the portion containing the S-Pole is called the SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. If the Equator is extended in all directions infinitely, the area covered by the infinite circle is called the PLANE OF EQUATOR or the EQUITORIAL PLANE. The equatorial plane necessarily passes through the center of the Earth. Circles may also be drawn parallel to the equator with its center on the N-S Polar axis excluding the center of the Earth and a radius sufficient to reach the surface of the Earth. Such circles are called SMALL CIRCLES. Both the circles are shown in FIG 16.

Semicircles drawn from the N-Pole to the S-Pole with the centre as the center of the Earth and the radius equal to that of the Earth are called MERIDIANS. If a Meridian passes through a place on the

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Earths surface, it is called the MERIDIAN OF THE PLACE. For e.g. the Meridian of a city called Mysore will pass through Mysore. The angular distance between the Small Circle passing through a place on the Earth and the Equator along with the angular distance of the Meridian of that place from an accepted reference Meridian are used as parameters to exactly locate a place on the surface of the Earth. The Meridian passing through a place near London called GREENWICH is taken as the Reference Meridian for all measurements. This Meridian is also called the PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, The angular distance between the Prime Meridian and the Meridian of a Place, measured at the center of the Earth, is called the LONGITUDE (TERRESTRIAL LONGITUDE) of the place. If the angle is measured anticlockwise from the Prime Meridian, the Longitudes are EASTERN Longitudes and if measured clockwise, they are WESTERN Longitudes. The Longitude of a place on the Earth can have a value between 180 degrees West and 180 degrees East passing through Zero degrees. The angular distance between the Small circle passing through a place and the Equator measured at the center of the Earth is called the LATITUDE (TERRESTRIAL LATITUDE) of the place. If measured towards the North Pole, the Latitude is NORTH Latitude. If the measurement is towards the South Pole, the Latitude is SOUTH Latitude. The Latitude of a place can have a value between 90 degrees North and 90 degrees South passing through Zero degrees. Places in the Northern Hemisphere will have Northern Latitudes and those in the Southern Hemisphere will have Southern Latitudes.
FIG.17

shows the details of Longitude and Latitude. Any place on the Earth is exactly located by a knowledge of its Longitude and Latitude.

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If an observer is standing on the surface of the Earth the line joining his head and feet will be along a radius of the Earth and the meridian of the place where he is standing will make an angle of 90 degrees with this line. If he looks vertically up, he will be looking in a direction along the radius outwards. This direction is called the ZENITH and the opposite direction towards the center of the Earth is called the NADIR. If he looks straight instead of upwards, his view will be along the surface of the Earth. He can turn around a full 360 degrees and can see as much of the Earths surface as the line of sight permits in any direction. For e.g. if he is near the sea, he can see till the skyline appears to merge with the sea waters. The area covered by such a horizontal view and extended infinitely in all directions is called the HORIZON of the place. The Horizon is always a tangent to the Meridian of the place. It is specified by the direction of the observer. If the observer is looking South, the Horizon will be the Southern Horizon. If the observer is looking East, it will be the Eastern Horizon. FIG.18 details the Zenith and the Horizon at a place.

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The concept of Horizon is essential to understand what Astrologers mean by LAGNA in a Horoscope. We had seen how planetary positions are determined (remember the spherical screen at infinity). Lagna basically refers to that part of the spherical screen at infinity which is visible in the Eastern Horizon of the Place of birth at the Time of birth and on the Date of birth. As mentioned in the previous para, the Horizon of a place is the plane tangential to that place. This plane cuts the infinitely distant spherical screen circularly with the center being the place (of birth) where the observer is standing. That part of the screen which is above the Horizon (above means the direction from the Horizon to the Zenith of the place) is the part visible to the observer at any given time and date, say, the time and date of birth (In a span of one day, the earth completes one rotation around its axis and thus a band of the entire screen can be seen in that interval). Out of this, that part of the screen which is visible in the Eastern Horizon represents LAGNA. Since the Earth continuously revolves round the Sun and also rotates around its own Polar Axis, the Lagna changes from day to day and from time to time on any day. Since the Horizon also changes from place to place, the Lagna too varies from place to place for a given date and time.

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---------------------------------------Motion of Earth ---------------------------------------The Earth has three independent movements. First, it revolves round the Sun. Its orbital distance from the Sun is nearly 150,000,000 Kms and takes 365.2422 days for one complete revolution around the sun. In its journey around the Sun, the N-S Polar axis of the Earth is inclined to the plane of orbit at an angle of nearly 66.5 degrees. i.e. with reference to the normal direction of the polar axis, the inclination is around 23.5 degrees. The orbit of the Earth is nearly circular. Secondly, the Earth rotates around its N-S polar axis. The direction of rotation is anti clockwise, from West to East. One rotation is completed in 23 hours and 56 minutes with reference to a stationary distant star (A rotation is said to be complete with reference to a stationary object if the same object becomes visible at the same angle as it was before the start of rotation) and in 24 hours with reference to the Sun. The period of a full rotation reckoned with reference to a star is called the SIDERAL PERIOD (Sider means Star) and that with reference to the Sun is called the SOLAR PERIOD. A third movement is the Gyration of the Earth around the N-S axis with the center of the Earth as the pivot (Imagine a spinning top losing speed). This is a very slow movement and nearly 26000 Years are needed for one Gyration to be completed. Each of these movements cause different effects. We will start with the rotation. The rotation causes the appearance and disappearance of the Sun from our view. Since the Sun is the major source of light on Earth, its non visibility causes darkness on the Earth at places from where the Sun is invisible. This dark period is called NIGHT-TIME (Generally abbreviated to NIGHT) and the

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bright period when the Sun is visible is called DAY-TIME (Generally abbreviated to DAY). A SOLAR DAY refers to the period of one rotation with reference to the Sun and is equated to 24 hours. For places located on the Equator, the duration of Day and Night are nearly equal. The direction in which the Sun starts to appear on the Horizon of a place specifies the EASTERN Direction at that place and the time of appearance of the Sun is called the time of SUNRISE. As the Earth continues its anticlockwise rotation, a point is reached when the Sun is visible at the Zenith of the place. The Sun is now positioned exactly in line with the Meridian of the place. This time is called NOON. The period before Noon is called ANTIMERIDIAN (AM). As the Earth continues its rotation, the POSTMERIDIAN (PM) period is entered. A point is reached when the Sun starts to disappear from the Horizon of the Observer. Just before the disappearance, the Sun is visible in a direction opposite to the East and is called the WESTERN direction for that place. The time of disappearance of the Sun is called the time of SUNSET. A diagram showing the above is in FIG.19. Day-time refers to the period between Sunrise and Sunset while Night-time is the period from Sunset to the next Sunrise.

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We will now study the revolution of the Earth around the Sun. As mentioned earlier, the Earth completes one revolution around the Sun in 365.2422 mean Solar days with each day equaling 24 hours. This duration is called ONE YEAR.

Four positions of the Earth in its motion around the Sun are shown in FIG 20. In positions 1 and 3, the Sun lies in the Equatorial plane of the Earth. When the Earth rotates around its axis at this position, the durations of Day and Night are equal at most places on the Earth (Near the North and South Poles, Sun is not visible for many days or even months (Draw a tangent and check for yourself !). These places have extremely long day and night times. These exceptional cases are not covered in the statement made). Positions 1 and 3 are therefore called EQUINOXES. Position 1 is called the VERNAL EQUINOX which occurs on the 21st of March each Year. Position 3 is called the AUTUMNAL EQUINOX and occurs on the 23rd of September each Year. At these positions, the intensity of Sunlight falling on a unit area at all places is also nearly the same. Position1 refers to the SPRING season while Position 3 refers to the AUTUMN season. Positions 2 and 4 are midway between positions 1 and 3 on either side of the orbit. Due to the Inclination of the Earth, the Sun is now not in the Equatorial plane of the Earth. Also, in position 2, the

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Northern Hemisphere receives more intensity of Sunlight per unit area than those in the Southern Hemisphere because of the inclination towards the Sun (This is mathematically so because the Sothern Hemisphere is at a larger distance from the Sun and the amount of sunlight in a cone of 1 degree gets spread over a larger area). The Northern Hemisphere is therefore experiencing hot weather (SUMMER) while those in the Southern Hemisphere are in WINTER. Also because of the inclination, the Sun is visible for a longer duration in the Northern Hemisphere and the days are longer. The position 2 is for June 22nd (SUMMER SOLSTICE) and the Northern Hemisphere experiences the LONGEST DAY. On this day the sun is in the plane of the small circle at a latitude of 23.5 degrees North, equal to the inclination of the Earth in its orbit. This small circle is called the TROPIC OF CANCER and places on this tropic receive the rays of the sun perpendicularly. The reverse is the case in Position 4 which is shown for Dec 21st (WINTER SOLSTICE) which is the SHORTEST DAY for the Northern Hemisphere. The Sun is now in the plane of the small circle at a Latitude of 23.5 degrees South. This small circle is called the TROPIC OF CAPRICORN and places on this tropic receive the Suns rays perpendicularly. This is SUMMER for the places in the places in the Southern Hemisphere while the Northern Hemisphere experiences WINTER. The revolution of the earth also determines an important plane. As earlier stated, in Astrology, the position of planets are determined with reference to Earths center. Thus, in Astrology, the Earth is assumed to be in the center of the system and the location of other planets are determined with reference to it. Remember that planets continue to revolve around the Sun. Only relative motions with respect to the Earth are determined for Astrological purposes. With this background, we now trace the path of apparent motion (orbit) of the Sun round the Earth. The orbit is nearly circular and

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the plane of orbit is inclined to the Equator of the Earth at an angle of 23.5 degrees. The equator of the Earth in the normal position with the N and S poles pointing vertically up and down, if extended to infinity forms the CELESTIAL EQUATOR. The radius of the Earth if extended to infinity forms a sphere which is called the CELESTIAL SPHERE. The poles, if extended to infinity forms the CELESTIAL POLES. The plane of orbit of the Suns apparent motion is, therefore inclined to the Equatorial plane by 23.5 degrees. The orbit is called the ECLIPTIC and the plane of this orbit is called the PLANE OF THE ECLIPTIC (FIG 21).

The orbits of all planets used in Astrology lie in a belt of around 9 degrees North and 9 degrees South about the Ecliptic. This belt is known as the ZODIAC. The Ecliptic cuts the Celestial Equator at two points. The first point is when the Ecliptic crosses the Equator while moving from South to North of the Equator (Point A in FIG.21). The second point is when it moves from North to South on the opposite side. The first crossing is called THE FIRST POINT OF ARIES and determines the Vernal Equinox mentioned earlier. The second point opposite to the first corresponds to the Autumnal Equinox.

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As earlier explained, position of planets are determined in Astrology by a measurement of the angles formed at the center of the Earth by the lines of projection of the planets on to a spherical screen located at infinity ( The Celestial Sphere) with a reference line. The line joining the center of the Earth to the First Point of Aries when extended to infinity forms this reference line for Western Astrological Measurements. The reference line is also called the LINE of ARIES and marks the beginning of the sign of Aries (Mesha) in Western Astrology. For Hindu Astrology, however, the reference line is the line joining the center of the Earth to a distant star (in the group of stars called REVATI, which is opposite to star CHITRA) and extended to infinity. In both cases the measurement of angles is along the Ecliptic in a counterclockwise direction, which is the direction of revolution of all planets. The angles are called CELESTIAL LONGITUDES. The range of these values is between 0 and 360 degrees. In Astrology, each House (Rasi) of the Horoscope represents an angle of 30 degrees with the starting House as Aries. Given the Celestial Longitude, the position of a planet in the Horoscope is uniquely determined. Now, we will turn our attention to the third type of motion of the Earth. This is the result of varying gravitational forces from the Sun and Moon on the slight bulges at the Equator of the earth. The gravitational forces vary because of slight variations of the distances and the position of Moon vis--vis the Sun. Other planets also have their effects but those of the Sun and Moon effect the movement to a very large extent. These forces cause the Earth to Gyrate i.e. the N-S polar axis of the Earth moves in a circular fashion around the Celestial poles. For measurement purposes, it may be seen as the Celestial poles are rotating in a circular motion. The circular movement is also not smooth but there is a slight wobble (pushing of the N-S poles of the Earth in an East-West direction. This phenomenon is called NUTATION of the Earth)

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and is superimposed on the circular motion. details of this movement.

FIG.22

shows the

The circle has an angular diameter of 47 degrees and completes a full rotation in nearly 26000 years. The superimposed Nutation completes one cycle in around 19 years. The result of this rotation is that the First Point of Aries and hence the Vernal Equinox shifts Westward at a rate of nearly 50.32 every year. This is called the PRECESSION OF EQUINOXES and results in a change of the reference line for Western Astrology every year. It is for this reason that this astrology is said to be using a MOVING ZODIAC SYSTEM. This system is also called the SAYANA SYSTEM. The Hindu Astrology has a fixed star as the reference point. This system uses the FIXED ZODIAC SYSTEM and is also called the NIRAYANA SYSTEM. The difference between the two systems is calculated by multiplying the completed years after a reference year (when both systems coincided) by 50.32. This difference is called AYANAMSA. The reference year used by different Astrologers is different. The Ayanamsa by LAHIRI uses the year of coincidence as 285 AD and is widely used by Hindu Astrologers. For e.g. in case the Year is 2010, the Lahiri Ayanamsa is (2010285)*50.32 which works out to 24o 6 42. In general, for Hindu Astrology, Nirayana Position = Sayana Position Ayanamsa.

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Thus, while the rotation of the Earth about its N-S axis causes day and night, its revolution around the Sun causes different seasons. The effect of Gyration is to cause a shift of the Vernal Equinox by 50.32 Westward each year.

-----------------------------------------Motion of Moon ------------------------------------------

34

We now our attention to the Moon. The Moon revolves round the Earth and Earth forms the focus of its orbit. It is also called a SATELLITE of the Earth. Its average distance from the earth is 3,840,000 Kms, has a radius of 1730 Kms and has a mass only 1/81 times that of the Earth. The Sideral period of revolution is 27.321 days and a Synodic period of 29.53 days. The orbit of the Moon is nearly circular. The orbit is inclined to the Ecliptic and the inclination angle i varies in a range of nearly 10 degrees, 5 degrees on either side of the Ecliptic. The LINE OF APSIDES which is the line joining the Perigee and Apogee of the orbit rotates around the Moon. The Lunar Equator is also inclined to its orbit. The orbit of the Moon is, therefore, very complicated. Some details of the orbit are given in FIG 23.

In addition, the Moon has a CAPTURED motion i.e. the same side of the Moon is visible from the Earth at all times. It has no light of its own. It only reflects the light it receives from other sources, mainly the Sun. Its ALBEDO is only 7%. This means that only 7% of the light falling on it is reflected by the Moon. We will now study the orbit of the Moon in some more detail. We will do so in three separate parts. In the first part, we will study the orbit without any inclination to the Equator. Later, we will see the

35

effect of inclination of the orbit. Finally, the effect of perturbations of the orbits are discussed. We begin with the simple orbit. FIG 24 shows the Sun at the center, the Earth in its orbit around the Sun and the Moon with its orbit round the Earth.

As mentioned earlier, the Moon has no light of its own and only reflects 7% of the light it receives from the Sun. It is known that an object is visible to us only if some light falls on the object or the object itself emits some light and the reflected or emitted light is received by our eyes. Since the same surface of the Moon faces the Earth always and its orientation with reference to the Sun changes from day to day because of its movement around the Earth, it would be interesting to know how the Moon would look like on different days. To understand the same look at FIG 25 where eight positions of the Moon are shown in its orbit around the Earth.

36

The positions are marked from 1 to 8. The orbit is assumed to be circular for the purpose of discussion. The face of the Moon which is towards the Earth is the circular disc with its center at M and diameter defined by P and Q. This disc divides the Moon into two Hemispheres and only that part which is towards the Earth is visible from the Earth. The Earth is located at the center of the orbit and is shown as a sphere with its center at E. The Sun is at a large distance and only the parallel rays of the Sun from the left are shown. The circular disc formed by a circle with center M and diameter defined by R and S represent the portion of the Moon which receives the sunlight. Only the left half of the Moon (Left Hemisphere) defined by the disc RMS receives sunlight. This fact, coupled to the part of the Moon visible from the Earth shows that the Earth receives the reflected light only from the overlapping portions defined by the two Hemispheres described above. As can be easily seen, there is no overlapping part in position 1. The Moon is not visible from the Earth. The day on which this happens is called AMAVASYA in Astrology. On this day the Moon forms an Inferior Conjunction with the Sun. At the other end, in position 5, the full face of the Moon is visible from the Earth. The day this happens is called PURNIMA. On this day, Moon and Sun are in Opposition. The journey of the Moon from Amavasya to Purnima is called SUKLA PAKSHA and the journey

37

from Purnima to Amavasya is called KRISHNA PAKSHA. FIG 26 shows how thw Moon appears from the Earth at the different positions shown.

As stated earlier, the Synodic period of the Moon is 29.53 days. This is the time needed from one Amavasya to the next or from one Purnima to the next. This period corresponds to one LUNAR MONTH (MAASA). This is also called a LUNATION. Twelve such months consisting of 354.36 days correspond to a LUNAR YEAR (also called SAMVATSARA) in Hindu Astrology. The calendar year corresponds to twelve calendar months comprising of an average of 365.2422 days (the period of one revolution of the Earth around the Sun. Equality is established between the two by adding seven additional Lunar months in 19 Samvatsaras leading to a total of 235 Lunations yielding 6939.7 days which is almost the same period obtained in 19 calendar years. The added months are called ADHIKA MASAS. This means that the same phases of the Moon will occur on same days of the Month as 19 years ago except for a difference of less than two hours. This cycle is called the METONIC CYCLE. It is also called the LUNI-SOLAR CYCLE. We now consider the effect of inclination of Moons orbit and perturbations of the orbits of Moon and Earth. Just as the

38

inclination of the Ecliptic makes it intersect the Celestial Equator at two points, the orbit of Moon also crosses the Plane of Ecliptic at two points. The first point is when the orbit crosses the Ecliptic while going from South to North and the Second when it crosses from North to South on the opposite side. These two points are called ASCENDING NODE (RAHU) and DESCENDING NODE (KETU) respectively (see FIG.23). The line joining the two is called the LINE OF NODES. Because of the orbital disturbances mentioned earlier, this Line rotates around the Earth clockwise (normally all objects revolve/rotate counterclockwise) completing a full rotation in nearly 19 Years which defines the rate of movement of the NODES in Astrology. This is also called the REGRESSION OF NODES. FIG 27 gives four random positions for the line of nodes.

The motion of Moon is also related to another phenomenon. When the Moon forms a Superior Conjunction with the Sun a shadow of the Moon is formed on some parts of the Earth. The Sun is not visible from these places and this phenomenon is called a SOLAR ECLIPSE. Depending on the orbit of the Moon, the Eclipse may be TOTAL or PARTIAL. The angular diameter of the Moon as seen from the Earth varies between 29 to 32 of arc depending on the distance from it. In the case of the Sun, this figure varies between 31.5 and 32.5. Hence, the Moon will cover the Sun completely as is the case in a Total Eclipse, it must be closer to the Earth while

39

the Sun should be farther away. The Sun appears in the form of an ANNULAR RING if only its central part is hidden. Such an Eclipse is called an ANNULAR ECLIPSE. In all other cases, only a part of the Sun is obstructed and a Partial Eclipse occurs. The Totality of Solar Eclipse can never last for more than 8 minutes. A Solar Eclipse can thus occur only on an Amavasya day. FIGs 28 and 29 show the Total and Annular Solar Eclipse.

A star can also get Eclipsed by the Moon in a similar way. However, since the Stars are at very large distances, they appear very small and the Period of Eclipse is very short (remember that Moon travels fast covering a full rotation in 27.32 days or nearly 0.5 degrees every hour). The star, therefore, seems to disappear

40

from view for some time when Eclipsed by the Moon. This phenomenon is called OCCULTATION of the Star by the Moon. Similarly, when the Moon forms an opposition to the Sun, the shadow of the Earth may fall on it causing its Total or Partial invisibility. This is the LUNAR ECLIPSE. When the Moon is fully in the shadow (UMBRA) of the Earth, the Eclipse is total and the Moon becomes dark. When a part of the Moon is in partial shadow (PENUMBRA), the Moon only loses some of its brightness. The totality of Moons Eclipse lasts for a maximum of 1 hour and 45 minutes. The Lunar Eclipse can occur only on a Purnima. FIG 30 is a schematic representation of the Lunar Eclipse.

In both cases, an Eclipse can occur when the Nodes are nearly in line with the Sun and Moon. This is the reason why Eclipses do not occur on each Purnima or Amavasya. A Total Eclipse can occur only when the Sun, Moon and Earth are in a perfect straight line. And this can happen only when the Nodes fall exactly on the same line. Even in such a case, if the distance of Moon from the Earth is large, only an Annular Eclipse of the Sun or a Partial Eclipse of the Moon may result. This aspect is also brought out in the diagrams above.

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-------------------------------------Motion of other Planets -------------------------------------Let us now take a look at the other planets. All planets have elliptic orbits and have Sun at their Focal point. Here, only a brief discussion on the planets and their motion is given. We begin with the Inferior planet Mercury. This is the planet closest to the Sun. It is nearly spherical with a radius of 2400 Kms with a mass of nearly 5% of the Earth. It rotates about its own axis once in 58.65 days. The orbit of Mercury around the Sun has a Perigee of 45,000,000 Kms and an Apogee of 65,000,000 Kms. Maximum inclination of its orbit is nearly 7 degrees on either side of the Ecliptic. It has a Sideral period of 88 days and a Synodic period of 116 days. It has a slightly Greenish appearance. Its Albedo is 0.06%. Venus is the next closest planet. It is also an Inferior planet. The radius of this planet is nearly 6000 Kms and has a mass of 81% of Earth. It rotates about its own axis once in 243 days. In its orbit around the Sun, its mean distance is 108,000,000 Kms. Its orbit is inclined to the Ecliptic by nearly 3.5 degrees on either side of it. The orbit of Venus is inclined to its own Equator by a staggering 178 degrees (almost upside down). The Sideral Period of its orbit is 224 days while the Synodic Period is 584 days. It appears as a bright White object (like a diamond). Its Albedo is more than that of Mercury and has a value of 0.76%. The Longitudes of Mercury and Venus are always close to the Longitude of Sun. This is because they are always visible on the same side as the Sun as seen from the Earth. Depending on whether their Longitude is lesser or greater than that of the Sun, these planets would be visible as MORNING STARS in the East

42

before Sunrise or as EVENING STARS in the West after Sunset. Venus is also called a DIAMOND IN THE SKY. Among the Superior planets, Mars is closest to the Sun. With a radius of 3250 Km and having a mass of 10% of Earth, it orbits round the Sun with a mean distance of 224,000,000 Kms. The Sideral Period is 687 days while the Synodic Period is 780 days. It rotates once around its own axis in 24 hours like the Earth. The inclination of its orbit with the Ecliptic is nearly 2 degrees on either side. The inclination of the orbit to its own Equator is nearly 24 degrees (like the Earth). Mars is Red in appearance and next only to Venus in brightness when nearest to the Earth and can be seen by the naked eye. It has an Albedo of 0.16%. At far off distances from the Earth, the planet is not easily distinguished because of its faintness. There are two satellites of Mars which are named DIEMOS and PHOBOS. Jupiter has its orbit after that of Mars. Jupiter is the largest planet orbiting the Sun. It has a radius of 71,000 Kms and weighs 320 times the Earth. The orbit is nearly circular and is at a mean distance of 770,000,000 Kms from the Sun. It rotates once about its own axis in nearly 10 hours while it revolves round the Sun with a Sideral period of 11.9 years. The Synodic Period is nearly 400 days. Its orbit is inclined to the Ecliptic by nearly 1.3 degrees on either side. With respect to its own Equator, its orbit is inclined at around 3 degrees. Jupiter has a Yellowish appearance with an Albedo of 0.43%. When seen through a telescope, many cloud belts may be seen encircling the planet parallel to its equator. The planet has, in addition, sixteen satellites. The orbit of Saturn comes next. This is the last planet among the nine mainly considered by Astrologers. It is orbiting the Sun at a

43

mean distance of 1400,000,000 Kms. It has a radius of 60,000 Kms and a mass of 95 times that of the Earth. It rotates on its own axis once in 10.5 hours. The orbit around the Sun has a Sideral Period of 29.5 years and a Synodic Period of 378 days. The orbit has an inclination of 2.5 degrees with respect to the Ecliptic on either side. With respect to its own Equator, the orbit has an inclination of nearly 27 degrees. Saturn has a Bluish appearance and has an Albedo of 0.61%. It is the slowest planet among those considered by Astrologers. It is also known as MANDA. Saturn is famous for its RINGS. It has twenty satellites. Among the more distant planets, Uranus comes first after Saturn. This planet is at a distance of 2800,000,000 Kms from the Sun. The planet has a radius of nearly 26,000 Kms and a mass which is 15 times that of the Earth. The orbits inclination to the Ecliptic is less than one degree while the planets own Equator has an inclination of 98 degrees to the orbit. The Sideral Period of rotation is 84 years while the Synodic Period is close to 370 days. The planet completes one rotation about its own axis in 17 hours. Uranus is also known as Herschel since its discoverer was William Herschel. It was discovered in 1781 and has five satellites. It has an Albedo of 0.35%. After Uranus, comes Neptune. The orbit of Neptune is at a mean distance of 4400,000,000 Kms from the Sun. It is slightly smaller in size compared to Uranus with a radius of 24,000 Kms but is heavier with a mass of 17 times that of the Earth. Its orbital inclination to the Ecliptic is 1.7 degrees on either side. Its own Equator is inclined to the orbit at an angle of 28.8 degrees. The Sideral Period of orbit is 164.8 years while the Synodic period is 367.5 days. The rotation period around the planets own axis is nearly 18 hours.

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Neptune was discovered by J.Galle and H.D.Arrest at the Berlin observatory in 1846. It is known to have two satellites. The Albedo of this Planet is 0.35, the same as that of Uranus. Pluto is the farthest planet. It is orbiting the Sun at a mean distance of 5900,000,000 Kms from it. It has a Sideral Period of 248 years while the Synodic Period is 367 days. The orbit is inclined to the Ecliptic by 17 degrees on either side (as you might have observed, this is the only planet which is outside the Zodiac belt). With reference to its own Equator, the inclination is nearly 120 degrees. The planet rotates about its own axis with a period of 6.4 days. It has a radius of 1400 Kms. The planet was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930. It has an Albedo of 0.47%. In addition to the planets described there exist some more objects which do not interest the Astrologer to the extent planets do. These are Comets, Asteroids, Meteors and Meteorites. Comets consist of a nucleus surrounded by dust and gases. They appear to move like aeroplanes with an exhaust at the tail. The tail of the comets appear shining due to reflection of Sunlight. The tail of a Comet always faces away from the Sun. They have highly elliptical orbits. Some of the Comets have clockwise motion while others move counterclockwise. They have very low masses. Two well known comets are Halleys Comet and Enckes Comet. The former has a period of 76 years while latters period is 3.3 years. Halleys Comet was last seen in February 1986 and is expected to be seen again in 2061-62. The appearance of a Comet is usually associated with unhappy events. Whether the occurrence of a bad event coincides with the appearance of a comet by pure chance or not is unanswered at present.

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Asteroids are also known as Minor Planets. They are small in size with a maximum radius of 500 Kms. They have highly elliptical orbits with the Apogee being much larger than the Perigee. Most of the nearly 40,000 Asteroids have their orbits between Mars and Jupiter. Because of their high ellipticity, some of these Asteroids may come very close to the Earth and even reach the Inferior Planets. Meteors are thick dust like particles moving freely in the Space. When these enter the Earths atmosphere, they get heated because of friction. The heat produces a luminescence while at the same time the Meteor is destroyed. The phenomenon is referred to as Shooting Stars. Meteorites are larger rock like particles. These are the objects which, on entering the Earths atmosphere, do not get burnt out. They fall to the ground and are responsible for the formation of Craters.

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------------------------------------------Other Astronomical Terms ------------------------------------------We are now ready to introduce certain additional Astronomical terms, some of which are used by Astrologers as well. We begin with the definitions of CELESTIAL LATITUDE and LONGITUDE of Heavenly bodies (Stars, Planets etc.) which help locate the body with reference to the center of the Celestial Sphere. The Celestial Longitude of a Heavenly Body refers to the angular distance between the First Point of Aries and that Body with the angle measured at the center of the Celestial Sphere and along the Ecliptic. The range of values possible is from 0 degrees to 360 degrees. This is the angle which determines the placement of a planet in a Horoscope. The Celestial Latitude of a Heavenly Body is its angular distance along an arc perpendicular to the Ecliptic and in the North or South direction from the same. Its range is from 0 degrees to 90 degrees North or South.
FIG31

is a pictorial representation of the above. In the figure, semicircle N2-H-B is the perpendicular from the Heavenly Body to the Ecliptic while the semicircle N1-H-A is perpendicular to the Celestial Equator. The Celestial Longitude is given by the arc OB (expressed as an angle) while the Celestial Latitude is given by the arc HB.

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It can be seen that these definitions differ from those of Terrestrial Longitude and Latitudes. If the measurements above are made with respect to the Celestial Equator instead of the Ecliptic, the results are called RIGHT ASCENSION and DECLINATION of the heavenly body respectively. The Declination is called KRANTI and is used by Astrologers to compute one of the six strengths of a planet (SHADBALAs. The Bala computed is a part of KAALABALA, namely the AYANABALA). FIG31 shows these details as well where arc OA represents the Right Ascension and arc HA represents the Declination of the Heavenly Body H. The Declination of Sun, for e.g. varies from 0 degrees at Vernal Equinox to 23.5 degrees North at Summer Solstice and back to 0 degrees at Autumnal Equinox. It goes to 23.5 degrees South at Winter Solstice before returning to 0 for the next cycle. Both the Right Ascension and Celestial Longitude of the Sun at these points are 0, 90, 180 and 270 degrees respectively. The Declination of 23.5 degrees at the extremes of the Suns orbit represents the angle between the Ecliptic and Equator. This is called the OBLIQUITY of the Ecliptic to the Equator.

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Refer now to FIG32 above. In this figure, S refers to a star. The DECLINATION CIRCLE of a star is a small circle passing through the star and parallel to the Celestial Equator. The star rotates on this circle around the Celestial Pole as seen from the center of the Earth when the Earth rotates about its Polar axis. The CELESTIAL MERIDIAN through a Heavenly Body is the Great Circle connecting the Celestial Poles and the Body. These will be at right angles to the Celestial Equator and such circles are called SECONDARIES to the Great Circle (The Celestial Equator is a Great Circle). It is also pertinent to mention that the Great Circle passing through the Celestial Poles and Zenith of the observer is called the OBSERVERS MERIDIAN or PRIME MERIDIAN. The HOUR ANGLE of a Heavenly Body is the angular distance between its Meridian and the Meridian of the observer. It is zero when the two coincide and the Body is said to CULMINATE or TRANSIT the observer. Since the Earths rotation is from West to East, the Bodys meridian moves West with respect to the observer. The hour angle varies from 0 to 12 hours when the star is West of the observer. On the Eastern side, its range is from 12 to 24 hours. FIG33 gives these details.

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In order to locate a Heavenly Body with respect to an observer, its ALTITUDE and AZIMUTH angles are needed. The reference for these measurements is the Horizon of the observer and the Zenith.

In FIG34 above, an observer is at location O with his Zenith at Z. A Heavenly Body is shown at H and the North Pole is at NP. Recall that the observers Horizon is an infinite circle tangential to the surface on which the observer is standing. Line OZ is perpendicular to the Horizon. With center at O draw an arc connecting Z to H and extend it to meet the Horizon at A. This arc will be perpendicular to the Horizon. The portion of the arc AH is the Altitude of the Heavenly Body. The Altitude of a Heavenly Body is greatest when it is on the observers Horizon.

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Similarly the arc connecting Z to NP and extended to the Horizon cuts it at N. The point N is called the North Point of the Horizon. Opposite to this will be the South Point. The East and West points are at 90 degrees to these. Arc NA represents the Azimuth. Its range can be between 0 and 180 degrees East or West. The arcs drawn from Zenith to the Horizon with the center at O are called VERTICALS. The Vertical connecting East and West to the Zenith is called the PRIME VERTICAL.

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--------------------------------------Rising, Setting and Combustion --------------------------------------We had seen that Planets appear to move along the Declination Circle when the Earth rotates round its Polar Axis. This motion of Planets is called their DIURNAL motion. Since the rotation of Earth is from West to East, all Planets appear to move from East to West. During this motion, the planets are above the observers Horizon (remember that above means towards the Zenith) for some time and below at others. This is depicted in FIG35.

The observers Horizon is shown as the circle NWSE with the observer at O. The Planet is at P initially and its Declination Circle is marked PQLRM. i.e. when the Earth rotates, the Planet appears to move along P-Q-L-R-M-P. The part R-M-P-Q is above the Horizon while the part Q-L-R is below. The planet is said to SET at Q (direction from above to below) and RISE at R (direction from below to above). The Rising and Setting of the Sun is the simplest example for the above. There is no change of Longitude in the case of distant Stars because of this phenomenon. In Astrology, however, the Rising and Setting of Planets carries a different meaning. Here the orbital motion of planets is considered.

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Planetary Longitudes necessarily change. When the Planet comes near the Sun during its motion, it becomes invisible because of the intense light of the Sun. In such a case, the Planet is said to have SET (COMBUST). When the Planet moves away from the Sun, it becomes visible and the Planet is said to have RISEN (Come OUT OF COMBUSTION). In case of both Superior and Inferior Planets, the Rising and Setting occurs only when nearing Conjunction. Since Superior Planets move slowly compared to the Sun, the motion described in the previous para has to be properly interpreted. The Superior Planet Sets when the Sun comes near it and Rises once the Sun moves away after the Conjunction. The Setting takes place in the West while the Rising is seen in the East before Sunrise. For Inner Planets, it is the Planet which comes near the Sun, conjuncts and then moves away. Here, the Rising occur in the West after Sunset during Superior Conjunction and in the East before Sunrise during Inferior Conjunction. The range of Longitudinal distances over which Planets are said to be Set (Combust) is given below. In case of Inner Planets, ranges exist for both Direct and Retrograde motion. The Planet is said to be in DEEP COBUSTION (BURNT) when its Longitude is exactly the same as that of the Sun. Planet Direct +/(degrees) 12 17 14 11 10 16 Retrograde +/(degrees) 08 12 11 08 16

Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn

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The variation of the ranges is the result of variation in the Diameter of the disc of the Planet as seen from the Earth. Apart from the differing sizes of Planets, if a Planet is near the Earth, its disc looks bigger. In general, the bigger the disc size, lesser will be the range of Combustion. Although only Planetary Longitudes only are considered by Astrologers, its Latitude also plays a role. Deep Combustion may not occur if some part of the Planets disc is not completely obscured by the Sun, even if both are at the same Longitude.

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-------------------------------------Upagrahas -------------------------------------We defined Rahu and Ketu as two Astronomical points based on the movement of Moon around the Earth. Although, these are not physical entities, they are given the status of a Planet in Astrology. Likewise, there are some more Astronomical points defined which are given the status of UPAGRAHAs. These Upagrahas are said to be the adverse AMSA of the Nine Grahas. Table below gives the details: Name of Upagraha Kala Paridhi or Parivesh Dhoom Ardhaprahara Yamagantak Indrachapa or Kodanda Gulika or Mandi Vyatipatha or Patha Upaketu or Sikhi Amsa of Planet Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Rahu Ketu

Of the above five points are defined with reference to the Suns Longitude. If the Suns Longitude is assumed as X degrees, the following points denote five of the Upagrahas: Longitude 133o 20 + X 226o 40 X 46o 40 X 313o 20 + X 330o + X Equivalent Longitude 360 Dhooma 180o + Vyatipatha 360o Paridhi 16o 40 + Indrachapa
o

Upagraha Dhooma Vyatipatha Paridhi Indrachapa Sikhi

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The remaining four Upagrahas are located as the Lagna at specific times of day or night. The procedure is as follows: For persons born during daytime Divide the duration of daytime (Sunrise to Sunset) into eight equal parts. The first part is allotted to the Planet ruling the Weekday (e.g. Monday means Moon). Each successive part is allotted to the successive Weekdays Planets. The eighth part is without any Lordship (Nireesh). For persons born during night time Divide the duration of night (Sunset to next Sunrise) into eight equal parts as above. The first part is allotted to the fifth Upagraha from the Planet ruling the Weekday (e.g. for Sunday, the first part is Yamagantak) and the successive six parts to the next six Upagrahas corresponding to the next six Planets. The eighth part is Nireesh in this case also. The ascendant (Lagna) calculated for the commencement time of an Upagraha gives the location of that Upagraha. This procedure is to followed for Kala, Ardhaprahara, Yamagantaka and Gulika.

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-------------------------------Time -------------------------------The concepts relating to TIME are based on the motion of Earth. One rotation of the Earth around its Polar axis is the basis for Time measurements. We will first consider this rotation in a little more detail.

Refer to FIG36 above. Imagine an observer at point A1 with the Sun at the Zenith of the place (Line OA1). After completing one complete rotation, the Sun will not be again at Zenith (Line OA2). The reason is that during the period of rotation, the Earth would also have revolved round the Sun by nearly 1 degree (360 degrees in 365.2422 days). For the Sun to be at Zenith again, the Earth should rotate a little more (Line OA3). The period of Zenith to Zenith passage of the Sun is used as a reference for SOLAR TIME. The Earth is said to complete one rotation with respect to the Sun in one Solar Day. If the rotation of the Earth is considered with reference to a distant Star i.e. the Star is at Zenith instead of Sun initially, one rotation of the Earth will bring the Star back to the Zenith. No additional rotation is needed in this case since the Earth does not revolve

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round the Star and the distance involved is very large. Thus, the period for such a rotation is slightly less than what is needed for a Zenith to Zenith passage of the Sun. This period forms the basis for SIDERAL TIME and constitutes one rotation of the Earth with reference to the Stars. Sideral Time is very important to determine the correct Lagna. Recall that Lagna is that part of the sky which is visible in the Eastern Horizon at the place of birth at the date and time of birth. Since the Earth completes a rotation of the sky in one Sideral Day, the correct Lagna can be ascertained only by determining the Sideral Time of birth. Tables are available to aid this determination. Since the orbit of the Earth is nearly circular but not exactly so, the speed of movement of the Earth is not constant. As per Keplers law, the Earth moves faster when it is at its Perigee and slower when at Apogee. Also the apparent motion of the Sun traces the Ecliptic, which is inclined to the Equator by 23.5 degrees. Hence the Right Ascension changes unequally in equal intervals of time. This means that the apparent movement of the Sun as observed from the Earth is also not uniform. Accordingly the period of time taken for a rotation with reference to the Sun would also change. The observed period at any place for the Zenith to Zenith passage of the Sun is, therefore, called the APPARENT Solar Day at that place. It is not very convenient to use the varying Apparent Solar Day for normal activities. A concept of MEAN SUN has been introduced to overcome this problem. The fictitious Mean Sun moves on the Celestial Equator (not the Ecliptic) at a uniform speed. The successive transits of this fictitious body across the observers meridian is defined as the MEAN SOLAR DAY. It is equated to 24 HOURS. Smaller measurement units are defined by MINUTES and SECONDS with one Hour equated to 60 Minutes and one

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Minute equated to 60 Seconds. With this definition of an Hour, the SIDERAL DAY is equal to 23 Hours and 56 Minutes. When the Mean Sun is on the Meridian of a place, it is said to be LOCAL MEAN NOON at that place. At this time its Hour angle is zero. At the opposite point, the hour angle corresponds to LOCAL MIDNIGHT which also signifies the beginning of a new day (also called a CIVIL DAY). It is still not possible to use the Time definition universally unless a standard reference is defined. The accepted reference is the passage of Sun over the GREENWICH (recall that this is the reference for Longitudes as well). The time of this passage is called Greenwich Mean Noon and represents 12 hours exactly. The opposite passage of the Sun fixes the start of a new day. The Time any part of the day is the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Equivalent Time at all other places on Earth can be established very easily. One rotation round the equator constitutes 360 degrees and also equals 24 Hours. The simple equation which results is: 360 degrees = 24 Hours 15 degrees = 1 Hour 1 degree = 4 Minutes Since the Longitude of Greenwich is 0 degrees, the equivalent time at any place is found by multiplying the Longitude of the place (converted to degrees) by 4 Minutes. This value has to be added to the time at Greenwich if the place is East of Greenwich and subtracted if otherwise. The time found by the above method gives the LOCAL MEAN TIME (LMT) at that place. Usage of LMT for normal activities is also not practical since it varies with Longitude. For e.g. the Longitudes for India varies

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from nearly 73 degrees to 96 degrees East. This means that within India, Time could vary by as much as 92 Minutes ((96-73)*4) from West to East. To avoid this difficulty, one specific Longitude is set as reference for India and Time in India is standardized to this Longitude. The reference defined for India is 82.5 degrees East. Thus the INDIAN STANDARD TIME (IST) is ahead of GMT by five and a half hours (82.5*4 = 330 Minutes). Similarly, there is a standard time for other countries. If the Longitudinal difference between the East and West parts of a country is very large, more than one standard is defined. Each standard defines the Time within a range of Longitudes. For e.g. the United States has Seven Standard Times defined. In all cases, if more than one standard is defined for a country, the Individual standards are called ZONAL STANDARDS. The relation between LMT and IST is easily found by finding the difference of the Longitude of the place and the standard Longitude (82.5 degrees). Multiplying this difference by 4 gives the time difference between IST and LMT. To obtain the LMT from IST, this time difference is to be added to IST for Longitudes East of the standard and subtracted otherwise. Equating the APPARENT TIME (rotation for Zenith to Zenith passage of Sun at the place using the Ecliptic instead of the Equator) to the LMT is more difficult. Differences due to Latitudes have also to be considered here. Mathematical methods exist for the same. Here, it is sufficient to know that the difference between AT and LMT is known as the EQUATION OF TIME. The interval between one day (rotation of the Earth about its Polar axis) and one Year (revolution of the Earth around the Sun) is divided into smaller units in a scientific manner. This division is called a CALENDAR. We are now using the GREGORIAN

60

Calendar. Here, out of the 365.2422 days in a year, 365 days are divided into 12 MONTHS of 28 to 31 days each. These are: Name of Month January February March April May June July August September October November December 31 days 28 days 31 days 30 days 31 days 30 days 31 days 31 days 30 days 31 days 30 days 31 days

The remaining 0.2422 days are adjusted as follows: In a span of 100 years, the adjustment needed would be 24.22 days. 24 days are adjusted by adding an additional day once in every 4 years for every Year divisible by 4 except the last Year of the Century ( Year ending with 00). Such Years with 366 days are called LEAP YEARS and have 29 days in the Month of February. The remaining 0.22 days are adjusted by allowing the Centuries divisible by 400 to have an extra day. Such Centuries are called LEAP CENTURIES. Thus, over one Leap Century only a difference of 0.12 days would remain unadjusted (1-(0.22*4)). Seven names exist for Seven consecutive Days. These names repeat cyclically for all times. A group of Seven consecutive days is called a WEEK. The names of WEEKDAYs are:

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Name of Day Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Named After Planet Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn

A procedure to find the day of the week for any given date is given in Annexure A. In Hindu Astrology, the day is divided into another unit of time called GHATIS. 60 Ghatis constitute one day and each Ghati is equal to 24 Minutes. Each Ghati is subdivided into smaller units called VIGHATIS with one Ghati equaling 60 Vighatis. Hindu Astrology also follows the Seven day structure. The Week is called VAARA and equivalent names for the days are given. The names are: Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Ravivaara Somavaara Mangalavaara Budhavaara Guruvaara Sukravaara Sanivaara

A Month is called MAASA and is based on the LUNI-SOLAR Cycle explained earlier in the chapter on Motion of Moon. The names of Maasas are also different. They are:

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Chaitra Vaishaka Jyeshta Ashada Sravana Bhadrapada Aswayuja Kartika Margashira Pushya Magha Phalguna No correspondence to names of Months in Gregorian Calendar are available for these names. The Year is called a SAMVATSARA and names for 60 Samvatsaras have been given. This cycle of names repeat in sequence continually. The names of Samvatsaras are:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Prabhava Vibhava Shukla Pramoda Prajotpatti Angirasa Srimukha

21. Sarvajith 22. Sarvadhari 23. Virodhi 24. Vikriti 25. Khara 26. Nandana 27. Vijaya 28. Jaya 29. Manmadha 30. Durmukhi 31. Hevilambi 32. Vilambi 33. Vikaari 34. Sharvari

41. Plavanga 42. Keelaka 43. Soumya 44. Sadharana 45. Virodhikruth 46. Paridhavi 47. Pramadicha 48. Ananda 49. Rakshasa 50. Nala 51. Paingala 52. Kalayukti 53. Siddharti 54. Roudri

Bhava 9. Yuva 10. Dhatru 11. Ishwara 12. Bahudhanya 13. Pramadhi 14. Vikrama

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15. Vrisha 16. Chitrabhanu 17. Swabhanu 18. Tharana 19. Parthiva 20. Vyaya

35. Plava 36. Shubhakrutu 37. Shobhakrutu 38. Krodhi 39. Viswaavasu 40. Parabhava

55. Durmati 56. Dundubhi 57. Rudhirodgaari 58. Rakshakshi 59. Krodana 60. Akshaya

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----------------------------------Panchanga ----------------------------------Hindu Astrologers use a Calendar called Almanac (Panchanga). The Panchanga provides information on five elements which are called Vaara, Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga and Karana. We will see each of the above in some detail. Vaara (Weekday) We had earlier described the name of the Weekdays and the ruling planet for the day. In Hindu Astrology the duration of 24 hours in a day are divided into HORAs of one Hour each. The name of the day depends on the Lord of the first Hora of each day. The sequence of Lordship of the Horas is shown in FIG37.

In the figure, the planets are arranged cyclically in the ascending order of their Sideral Periods staring with the Moon and ending with Saturn. We begin with Sun as the first Hora of Sunday. Subsequent Hora Lords will be represented by an anticlockwise rotation from the Sun i.e. the second Hora Lord is Venus etc. The

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Lord of the 25th Hora will be the Lord of the next day (Moon for Monday) and this process is repeated endlessly. Tithi A Lunar Month has been described as the period of time extending from one Conjunction to the next between the Moon and Sun. The day of Conjunction is called Amavasya and the mid of the Month Opposition between Sun and Moon is called Purnima. The duration of one Lunar month involves a movement of 360 degrees for the Moon with respect to the Sun. The duration corresponding to 12 degrees between the two is called a TITHI. The names given to the Tithis are as follows: Long. of Moon is X deg. and that of Sun is Y deg. See table below. Tithi Waxing Moon No. (Sukla Paksha) X-Y (Degrees) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 0 to 12 12 to 24 24 to 36 36 to 48 48 to 60 60 to 72 72 to 84 84 to 96 96 to 108 108 to 120 120 to 132 132 to 144 144 to 156 156 to 168 168 to 180 Tithi Waning Moon No. (Krishna Paksha) X-Y (Degrees) 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 180 to 192 192 to 204 204 to 216 216 to 228 228 to 240 240 to 252 252 to 264 264 to 276 276 to 288 288 to 300 300 to 312 312 to 324 324 to 336 336 to 348 -----Name of Tithi Pratipada Dwiteeya Triteeya Chaturthi Panchami Shashti Saptami Ashtami Navami Dashami Ekadashi Dwadashi Trayodashi Chaturdasi Purnima

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-------

30.

348 to 360

Amavasya

Purnima is also called Full Moon Day & Amavasya is also called New Moon Day Example: Assume Sun is at 272o and Moon is at 219o . Long. of Moon Long. of Sun = 307o Division of 307 by 12 gives Quotient = 25 and Remainder = 7 Tithi is Q+1 which is 26 which is Krishna Paksha Ekadasi as per the table above.

Tithi for any particular moment is found in a similar manner. Because the movement of Moon is not at uniform speed, the duration of tithi will vary from day to day. The tithi prevailing at Sunrise on any day is treated as the Tithi for that day for various might be missed (At Sunrise next day, the tithi might advance by 2 instead of 1. This is called TITHI KSHAYA. Similarly, if the Moon moves slowly, the same tithi might exist at next Sunrise also. This phenomenon is called TITHI VRIDDHI. Nakshatra Stars are generally found in groups called constellations. In Hindu Astrology, a Nakshatra represents the brightest star among the constellation. Twenty seven constellations in the Zodiac have been identified for use in Astrology with each star occupying a range of 13o 20 in the Zodiac. Their distance from the Earth is very large and hence are expressed in terms of LIGHT YEARS. A Light Year is the distance travelled by light in a time of one year. The velocity of light is 300,000 Km per Second. In a year light would travel a distance of 300,000*60*60*24*365.2422 which is approximately 9400 Billion Kms. The list of stars is given in the table below. Also included are the Nirayana Longitudes of the brightest star in the constellation as also the distance of some of them.

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Sl.No. Name of Star (Nakshatra)

Nirayan Long. (Deg Min) 10-06 24-20 36-08 45-55 59-50 64-53 89-21 104-51 108-29 125-58 137-27 147-45 169-35 179-59 180-22 201-13 218-42 225-54 240-43 250-43 258-31 277-55 292-29 317-43 329-37 345-17 356-01

Zodiac range (Deg-Min) 000-00 to 013-20 013-20 to 026-40 026-40 to 040-00 040-00 to 053-20 053-20 to 066-40 066-40 to 080-00 080-00 to 093-20 093-20 to 106-40 106-40 to 120-00 120-00 to 133-20 133-20 to 146-40 146-40 to 160-00 160-00 to 173-20 173-20 to 186-40 186-40 to 200-00 200-00 to 213-20 213-20 to 226-40 226-40 to 240-00 240-00 to 253-20 253-20 to 266-40 266-40 to 280-00 280-00 to 293-20 293-20 to 306-40 306-40 to 320-00 320-00 to 333-20 333-20 to 346-40 346-40 to 360-00

Distance (Light Years)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27.

Aswini Bharani Kritika Rohini Mrigashira Ardra Punarvasu Pushya Ashlesha Magha P.Phalguni U.Phalguni Hasta Chitra Swati Vishaka Anuradha Jyeshta Moola P.Ashada U.Ashada Shravana Dhanishta Shatabhisha P.Bhadra U.Bhadra Revati

68 310 36 425

260 36 330 330

17

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As can be seen above, the star Chitra has a longitude of 179-59 and is closest to the 180 degree point. This star plays a major role in the determination of Ayanamsa and hence is also called Chitra-paksha Ayanamsa. Chitra is also known by its Astronomical name SPICA. Another star known as ABHIJIT (VEGA in Astronomy) is also used by Astrologers for fixing Muhurthas. The Longitude of this star is 261-27 and its distance to the Earth is 26 Light Years. To determine the star for a given Longitude, convert the Longitude to Minutes and divide by 800 (13o 20 equals 800 Minutes and is the angular duration of a star). Ignore the remainder. Add one to the quotient to obtain the star number. For e.g. if the Longitude of any Planet is 2120 24, the star is found by ((212*60)+24) / 800 = 15.93. The quotient is 15. The star number is 16 which represents Vishaka. In Hindu Astrology, the Nakshatra of any day is given by the Nakshatra of Moon at the time of Sunrise on that day. Yoga As in the case of Nakshatra, Yogas are 27 in number and each Yoga spans 13o 20. Yogas are the result of combined movements of the Sun and Moon. The Longitudes of both these Planets at any desired instant should be added and the sum divided by 13o 20. As in the case of Nakshatras, ignore the Remainder. Add one to the Quotient to obtain the Yoga number at the desired time. The names of the Yogas are : 01. Vishakumbha 04. Soubhagya 02. Priti 05. Shobhana 03. Ayushman 06. Atiganda

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07. Sukarma 10. Ganda 13. Vyaghata 16. Siddhi 19. Parigha 22. Sadhya 25. Brahma

08. Dhriti 11. Vriddhi 14. Harshana 17. Vyatipata 20. Shiva 23. Shubha 26. Indra

09. Shoola 12. Dhruva 15. Vajra 18. Variyan 21. Siddha 24. Shukra 27. Vaidhriti

To find the Yoga number: Express Longitudes of both Sun and Moon in Minutes. Add the two and divide by 800. Ignore the remainder and add one to the Quotient. Karana While Tithi represents a 12 degree movement of the Moon with respect to the Sun, a Karana represents the 6 degree movement. However, only 11 Karanas are defined and not 60 (360/6). Four of these are called STHIRA KARANAS while the remaining seven recur 8 times in a span of one Month to yield the needed total of 60 Karanas (Two Karanas per Tithi and Thirty Tithis). The names of the Karanas are: 01. Bava 02. Balava 05. Gara 06. Vanij 09. Chatushpada 10. Naga 03. Kaulava 07. Vishti 11. Kintughna 04. Taitila 08. Shakuni

The last four are Sthira Karanas. The Karana for the first half of Pratipada is Kintughna Karana while the second half is Bava. Rest of the Karanas follow as shown in the table below: Tithi 1 Karana No. 1st 2nd 11 1 Tithi 16 Karana No. 1st 2nd 2 3

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2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

2 4 6 1 3 5 7 2 4 6 1 3 5 7

3 5 7 2 4 6 1 3 5 7 2 4 6 1

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

4 6 1 3 5 7 2 4 6 1 3 5 7 9

5 7 2 4 6 1 3 5 7 2 4 6 8 10

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-------------------------------------Hindu Astronomy -------------------------------------Many references to stars, Planets and Muhurthas are found in a number of generations old Hindu literature, Religious texts, Puranas etc. Based on Divine knowledge, many Siddhantas were revealed by Gods to their disciples. The earliest among them is the Surya Siddhanta said to be revealed by Sun God in 2163102 BC. This was adapted by Sage Varahamira and later its commentary was written by Ranganatha in 1608 AD. The latter is termed as the modern Surya Siddhanta. A number of works attributed to many Sages like Garga, Parashara, Vyasa etc. are also found in references. These also date thousands of years back. In the present, the works of Aryabhatta (499 AD), Varahamira (550 AD), Brahma Gupta (628 AD) and Bhaskara (1150 AD) are noteworthy. The earlier referred commentary on Surya Siddhanta by Ranganatha (1608 AD) also falls under the category of present works. The time frame used in Surya Siddhanta is called a MAHAYUGA consisting of 4,320,000 years. This is categorized into four parts in the ratio of 4:3:2:1. The largest part forms the Satya Yuga, the next part forms Treta Yuga, the next is Dwapara Yuga and the least part is called Kaliyuga consisting of 4,32,000 Years. The total period represents the time taken for all Planets, Nodes and Conjunctions to complete full cycles of revolutions without any fractions. Thus, at the end of the Mahayuga, all Planets will start from their original positions.

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Differences with Western Astronomy: 1. Western system uses Heliocentric calculations with the Sun at the center. Hindu system uses relative calculations with the Earth at the center. This system is Geocentric. 2. There is no concept of Mahayuga in Western Astrology. 3. The reference point for planetary positions in the two systems are different. Western systems follow the Moving Zodiac while the Hindu system follow the Fixed Zodiac. 4. Day is from Sunrise to sunrise in Hindu systems. Similarly the Month is based on Moons motion. This is not the case in Western system. 5. Non-physical astronomical points are calculated in Hindu System. No such calculations are made in Western system.

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-----------------------------------------Astronomical Milestones ------------------------------------------Approx. Period 150 AD 1500 AD 1600 AD 1700 AD 1740 AD 1800 AD 1850 AD 1870 AD 1930 AD 1957 AD 1971 AD Milestone Star catalogue prepared by Claudius Ptolemy. Copernicus stipulates that the Sun is the center of the Universe. Kepler formulated the laws of Planetary motion. Newton formulated his laws of motion. Hailey predicts the return of a Comet. Planet Uranus discovered. Planet Neptune discovered. Refractor Telescopes built. Radio Astronomy began. Planet Pluto discovered. Space Age begins. Astronomical data taken from the skies. Man lands on Moon

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------------------------------Annexure A ------------------------------No. of days in a Normal Year (N.Y) = 365. No. of complete Weeks (CW) = 52. Days more than CW in a N.Y Addl. days more than CW in a Leap Year (L.Y) Days more than CW in a Normal Century (NC) Days more than CW in 4 NCs ending in a Leap Century

=1 =1 =5 =0

Procedure to find the weekday corresponding to any date simply involves calculating the number of days more than complete weeks. For e.g. Suppose the Weekday is needed for 06-04-2010. No. of days more than CW till 2000 =0 No. of days more than CW till 2009 = 9+2 = 11 (2 is for LY) No. of days till given date in 2010 = 31+ 28 + 31 + 6 = 96 Hence, no. of days more than CW = Remainder of 96/7 = 5 Total no. of days more than CW = 0+11+5 = 16 16/7 gives a remainder of 2. This is a Tuesday. Remainder: Weekday : 1 2 3 4 5 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri 6 Sat 0/7 Sun

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INDEX

A
Adhika Maasa Albedo Altitude Amavasya Annular Eclipse Anti-Meridian Apogee Apparent Solar Day Apparent Time Ascending Node Asta Asteroid Atichara Autumn Autumnal Equinox Ayanabala Ayanamsa Azimuth 37 34 49 36 39 27 10 57 59 38 17 45 11 28 28 47 32 49

D
Declination Declination Circle 48

Deep Combustion Degree Descending Node Diemon Diurnal Dwaparayuga

52 21 38 42 51 71

E
Earth Ecliptic Equation of Time Equator Equinoxes Evening Star 26 30 59 22 28 42

C
Calendar Captured Motion Celestial Equator Celestial Latitude Celestial Longitude Celestial Longitude Celestial Meridian Celestial Poles Celestial Sphere Chara Combust Combustion Comet Conjunction 59 34 30 46 31 46 48 30 30 11 17 51 44 13 47

F
First point of Aries Fixed Zodiac System 30 32

G
Galaxy Ghati Great Circle Greenwich Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) Gregorian Calendar Grihas Gyration of Earth 7 61 22 23 58 59 11 26,31

H
Herschel Horizon 43 24

76 Hour Angle House 48 17

I
Indian Standard Time (IST) Inferior Conjunction Inferior Planet Inner Planet 59 13 13 13

J
Jupiter 42

K
Kalabala Kaliyuga Karana Kepler's Laws Ketu Kranti Krishna Paksha 47 71 68 10 38 47 37

L
Lagna Lahiri Leap Century Leap Year Line of Apsides Line of Aries Line of Nodes Local Mean Time (LMT) Longest Day Lunar Eclipse Lunar Month Lunar Year Luni-Solar Cycle 25 32 60 60 34 31 38 58 29 40 37 37 37

M
Maasa Mahayuga Manda Manda Mars 37,61 71 11 43 42

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78 Mean Solar Day Mercury Meridian Meteorites Meteors Metonic Cycle Minor Planets Minutes Months Moon Morning Star Moving Zodiac System 57 41 22 45 45 37 45 21 60 34 41 32 Prime Vertical Purnima 50 36

R
Rahu Rasi Regression of Nodes Retrograde Retrogression Right Ascension Rising 38 17,31 38 18 18 47 51

N
Nadir Nakshatra Neptune Nirayana System Noon Northern Hemisphere Nutation of Earth 24 66 43 32 27 22 31

S
Samvatsara Saturn Saturn's Rings Satyayuga Sayana System Secondaries Seconds Setting Shadbala Shortest Day Sideral Day Sideral Period Sideral Time Small Circle Solar Day Solar Eclipse Solar Period Solar System Solar Time Southern Hemisphere Spring Sukla Paksha Summer Summer Solstice Sunrise Sunset Superior Conjunction Superior Planet Surya Siddhanta Synodic Period 37 42 43 71 32 48 21 51 47 29 58 14 57 22 27 38 26 8 56 22 28 36 29 29 27 27 13 13 71 14

O
Obliquity of Ecliptic Observer's Meridian Occultation of a Star Opposition Orbit Outer Planet 47 48 40 13 10 13

P
Panchanga Penumbra Perigee Phobios Plane of Ecliptic Plane of Equator Pluto Polar Axis Poles Post-Meridian Precession of Equinoxes Prime Meridian 64 40 10 42 30 22 44 21 21 27 32 23

79 Vernal Equinox Vertical Vighati 28 50 61

T
Terrestrial Latitude Terrestrial Longitude Time Tithi Tretayuga Tropic of Cancer Tropic of Capricorn 23 23 56 65 71 29 29

W
Week Weekday Winter Winter Solstice 60 60 29 29

U
Umbra Upagrahas Uranus 40 54 43

Y
Year Yoga 28 68

V
Vaara Vakri Venus 61,64 18 41

Z
Zenith Zodiac Zonal Standard 24 30 59