Astronomy & Astrology originated from India !

" I am convinced that everything comes to us from the banks of the Ganges " said Voltaire. " Astronony, Astrology, Metempsychosis etc "

The first astronomical and mathematical treatise, the Brahma Sphuta Siddhanta, was translated by the Arabs as As Sind Hind. Later the works of the astronomer-mathematician, Aryabhata, was translated as Al Arjabhat. The Arabs gained insight into Maths and Astronomy, after these treatises were known to them.

The Calculation of the Longitudes of the planets was done by Aryabhata ( Aryabhato Graha Ganitham ). The trignometric functions, Sin was called by him as Bhuja Jya, Cos as Koti Jya and Tan Sparsa Jya. Asin was Bhuaja chapa, Acos was Koti chapa and Atan was Sparas Chapa.

It was these astronomers who first computed the Zodiac, long before Flamsteed. By Jya they meant 5 degrees of a Circle.

The first 90 degrees of the Zodiac, the Circle of the Heavens eight degree away from the Ecliptic was Oja, Odd and the degrees traversed by a planet was Bhuja, the traversed degree. The rest was Koti, the untraversed degree. The 90 to 180 degrees belt was Yugma, Even and the traversed degree of the planet was Koti. ( oja yatra gunaira kotir apara meshdi jookadhikau )

The Northern Celestial Hemisphere stretches from Aries to Libra and the Southern from Libra to Aries. ( Gola Uthara Dakshinau Nigadhidhou ).

The Rev Ebenezor Burgess opined that early Indians were the pioneers and teachers of Astronomy. Indian Astronomy was lauded by the Western astronomers.

Metempsychosis or the Doctrine of Reincarnation was adopted by the Greek philosophers Plato and Philo. The East India Company took this doctrine from India and from this doctrine Dr Erasmus Darwin and his grandson Charles Darwin developed the Law of Evolution, that Life originated from the sea and that our primordial ancestors were aquatic ! This was symbolically depicted in Vedic Symbolism as the first Incarnation as Fish ( origination from the sea ) and the last Incarnation as Buddha ( the Enlightened Self Actualised Sage ) !

The great Gnostics, Hegel and the Rishies, defined Freedom as the Goal of life. The world was the progress of Divine ( Matter, Energy, Being Universal ), through the intellectual evolution of Man. Man attains Freedom, when he realizes that he is God. Man in perfection himself is God !

More info about Indian Astronomy can be had at
Indian Astronomy