In the fifth century in India, astronomer Aryabhata contemplated the fact that the moon can hide the whole of the sun during a solar eclipse. The two have the same visible size from the earth, then, although it was clear to Aryabhata that the sun was a good deal larger. He discussed this in a dispassionate mathematical way, one which offended the religious sensibilities of the day. Vedic scripture suggests that the moon is farther from the earth than the sun is, which Aryabhata realized was plainly wrong.
Indeed, another great scholar of the day, Brahmagupta, who wrote both on scripture and on astronomy, both criticized Aryabhata for his impiety, AND then proceeded to build on Aryanhata's work in his own astronomical writings.
There the matter lay until the 11th century, when Alberuni, an Iranian/Islamic scholar of the golden age of such scholars, became fascinated with Indian culture and history. He made this comment:
"We shall not argue with him [Brahmagupta], but only whisper into his ear: ...Why do you, after saying such words [against Aryabhata and his followers], then begin to calculate the diameter of the moon in order to explain the eclipsing of the sun, and the diameter of the shadow of the earth in order to explain the eclipsing of the moon? Why do you compute both eclipses in agreement with the theory of those heretics, and not according to the views of those with whom you think it is proper to agree?"
The answer of course to this whispered in the ear question is that those with whom one thinks it "proper" to agree are not always those with whom one in fact agrees.
But this is a story about people long dead in places far away....
Indeed, another great scholar of the day, Brahmagupta, who wrote both on scripture and on astronomy, both criticized Aryabhata for his impiety, AND then proceeded to build on Aryanhata's work in his own astronomical writings.
There the matter lay until the 11th century, when Alberuni, an Iranian/Islamic scholar of the golden age of such scholars, became fascinated with Indian culture and history. He made this comment:
"We shall not argue with him [Brahmagupta], but only whisper into his ear: ...Why do you, after saying such words [against Aryabhata and his followers], then begin to calculate the diameter of the moon in order to explain the eclipsing of the sun, and the diameter of the shadow of the earth in order to explain the eclipsing of the moon? Why do you compute both eclipses in agreement with the theory of those heretics, and not according to the views of those with whom you think it is proper to agree?"
The answer of course to this whispered in the ear question is that those with whom one thinks it "proper" to agree are not always those with whom one in fact agrees.
But this is a story about people long dead in places far away....
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