246' HINDU ASTRONOMERS 



their own imperfed aftronomy, I Ihall not be inclined to ttiffent from 

 the opinion. There doss indeed appear ground for. more than a con- 

 jed'ure, that the Hindus had obtained a. know-ledge of Grecian aftrono- 

 my before the Arabs began to cultivate the fcience ; and that the whole 

 clufter of aftronomers mentioned by "Brahmegupta, mufc be placed 

 in the interval between the age of; Hipp arch us, and poffibly that of 

 Ptolemy, and. the date of Bsahmegupta's reyifion of the Brahme- 

 Jidd'hania* 



In reforming the Indian aftronomy, BRAHMEGUPTAj-and the aftro- 

 nomers who preceded him, did not take Implicitly the mean motions 

 of the Planets given by- the Grecian ,aflronomer. . In general they are 

 wider from the truth than ; Ptolemy.t" But, in the, inftance which ,is 



4* Mean Diurnal Motions of the Planets. 



Brahmesupta. Suuya.sidd'hAnta» Ptoeem?. ' Lalande. 



o 1 si ill %v o t ji i>i iv a i is hi rv « r n ill jy 



© 59 8 10 22 59 ' 8 10 10 ■ . 59 8 17 13 59 8 19 48 



$ 13 10 34 52 47 13 10 34 52 3 13 10 34 58 30 13 10 35 1 40 



j)~© 12 11 26 ^ 25 12 II 26 41 53 \'i II 26 .31 17 12 11 26 41 5i 



<J . 31 28 28 7 31 26 28 11 31 26 36 53 31 26 39s 23 



$5 4 5 32 IS 28 4 5 32 20 42 • 4 5 32 24 12 4 5 32 34 13 



% 4 £9 9 9 ,'0 4 59 8 48 4 59 14 26 4 59 15 53 



§ 1 36 7.44.35 1 36 7 43 3V 1 36 7 43 6 1 38 7 48" 24 



I? 2 ' 22 52 . 2 22 53 . 2 Q 33 ; 31 2 35 38 



In this comparative Table computed to fourth minutes, it will be remarked, that the Hindu aftrcnomeis 

 rnofily agree to third minutes and differ in the fourths. They difaoree with Ptolemy at the thirds, and 

 give'in almoft every inftance flower motions, than he does, to trie planets, and dill flower than the truth. 

 In the moon's fynodical motion, however, they are very nearly correct. On the other hand, the Equation 

 of the centre deducible from the epicycles (page 238) is a nearer approximation to the truth, than refults 

 from the excentricity afligned by Ptole.my to the'Oibits of the Planets. ' 

 For inftance, • 



» 1 nl 



Excentricity of the Sun's Orbit : 



.Surya SUd'hanta and Brabmegupta, (Radius of the epicycle,) 

 Hipparchus and Ptolemy (Altn."l, 3. c. 4.) in parts, ot which Radius contain*,, 60. 

 Albauni (c. 28 ) - . "*•- 



Greater! equation of the fun's centre. 



Surya-Jidi \'hatit K *&c (computed by the commentators.) » 



Ptolemy (Rice. A m, nov. v , 



Albatar-i - - = ' « ■ 



Alphonfine Tables. „ 



Kepler, &c,» ~ „ _ - <» 



.Lalande (3d Edit.) =. « ^ 



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30 



2 



29 



30 



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45 



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