Related papers: Comets in ancient India
The use of the observed positions of celestial bodies to determine the location of a navigator and to direct vessels, was an aspiration of ancient seafarers. Various peoples, in the Mediterranean as much as in the Indian Ocean, in China as…
Ancient origins of a modern anthropic argument against cosmologies involving infinite series of past events are considered. It is shown that this argument - which in modern times has been put forward by distinguished cosmologists like Paul…
This short monograph is devoted to different historical calendars prevalent in India from ancient times. They are classified and described with astronomical and historical details. Relationship of the calendrical elements to modern…
Comet 2I/Borisov is the first true interstellar comet discovered. Here we present results from observational programs at two Indian observatories, 2 m Himalayan Chandra Telescope at the Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle (HCT) and 1.2 m…
Comets likely formed in the outer regions of the protosolar nebula where they incorporated and preserved primitive presolar materials, volatiles resident in the outer disk, and more refractory materials from throughout the disk. The return…
A red rain phenomenon occurred in Kerala, India starting from 25th July 2001, in which the rainwater appeared coloured in various localized places that are spread over a few hundred kilometers in Kerala. Maximum cases were reported during…
Using orbital integrations of particles ejected from Comet Halley's passages between 1404 BC and 240 BC, the authors investigate possible outbursts of the Orionids (twin shower of the Eta Aquariids) that may have been observed in the…
In this chapter we review the astrophysical origins of Earth's carbon, starting from the products of the Big Bang and culminating with the Earth's formation. We review the measured compositions of different primitive objects including…
The stone alignment 'Nilurallu' at Murardoddi is a megalithic monument containing standing stones of 12 to 16 feet high that are arranged somewhat in a squarish pattern. This is one of the stone alignments listed by Allchin (1956) as a…
I investigate the nature of the transient nebulous companions to the sungrazing comet C/1882 R1, known as the Great September Comet. The features were located several degrees to the southwest of the comet's head and reported independently…
Astrophysical jets are associated with the formation of young stars of all masses, stellar and massive black holes, and perhaps even with the formation of massive planets. Their role in the formation of planets, stars, and galaxies is…
Periodic comets of different dynamical groups with orbits at 2 - 5 AU still occasionally active. The observed dust activity of such objects can be connected with processes of water ice sublimation (MBCs) or crystallization of amorphous…
We suggest an earlier date for the accession of the pharaoh Akhenaten of the New Kingdom in Egypt. His first year of reign would be placed in 1382 BCE. This conjecture is based on the possible witness of three annular eclipses of the sun…
In this letter, the old issue of whether redshifts of quasars are of cosmological origin is investigated. We make a plot of absorption redshifts versus emission redshifts for quasars with large amounts of data. Our study shows that, almost…
Historical observations of transients are crucial for studies of their long-term evolution. This paper forms part of a series of papers in which we develop methods for the analysis of ancient data of transient events and their usability in…
Physicists have pondered the origin of cosmic rays for over a hundred years. However the last few years have seen an upsurge in the observation, progress in the theory and a genuine increase in the importance attached to the topic due to…
Black holes are extreme spacetime deformations where even light is imprisoned. There is an extensive astrophysical evidence for the real and abundant existence of these prisons of matter and light in the Universe. Mathematically, black…
A monsoon is a wind system that seasonally reverses its direction, accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation. The Indian monsoon is the most prominent monsoon system, primarily affecting India's rainy season and its surrounding…
We investigate the star-formation in cometary tails of galaxies in clusters. In particular, we focus on the evolution of molecular clouds in the tails that generate the stars. Assuming that the gas tails had been derived from the galaxies…
The traditional cultures of Aboriginal Australians include a significant astronomical component, which is usually reported in terms of songs or stories associated with stars and constellations. Here we argue that the astronomical components…