Cosmic Logs
Explore articles on our fading connection to the night sky, the rich history of ancient astronomy, and insights from across the Planetarium42 network.
Reflections
Growing up in Calcutta, I knew the stars only when the power went out. The city would go dark without warning, and for a few minutes, before the generators started and the candles came out, something else would appear overhead. Actual stars. More than I had ever seen, more than I thought the sky could hold...
History
Long before modern telescopes, brilliant minds in ancient and medieval India mapped the heavens. From calculating the Earth's rotation to building massive stone observatories, meet the pioneers of Indian astronomy.
Explained planetary movements, eclipses, and proposed the Earth spins on its axis.
Author of Brihat Samhita; mixed science with storytelling in Ujjain.
Predicted eclipses and explained early concepts of gravity.
Improved planetary tracking, aiding sailors and travelers in navigation.
Master mathematician who tracked planets using the astrolabe.
Wrote Yantra-raja, pioneering the astrolabe during the Tughlaq dynasty.
Discovered intricate patterns in the Moon's orbital wobble.
Built the massive Jantar Mantar sacred stone observatories across India.