THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As you lap up the annular solar eclipse on Friday, know that you had precursors such as Vadassery Parameswaran Nampoothiri and Neelakanta Somayaji who studied eclipses in 15th and 16th centuries, shaping what would come to be known in our times as the Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics.
Parameswaran Nampoothiri (circa 1360-1455) who lived in the Alathiyoor village on the banks of the Bharatappuzha, recorded several eclipses of the sun and the moon. He mentions in his work ‘Siddhantadeepika’ eclipses observed from Thirunavaya (1422) and Gokarnam (1425 and 1430).
The ‘Jyothisastra Vijnanakosham’ recently published by the State Institute of Encyclopaedic Publications has sections on ancient Kerala’s rich ‘skyhunting’ heritage.
Neelakanta Somayaji (1444-1545) in his work ‘Aryabhateeyabhashyam’ has recorded eclipses that he observed from Ananthakshetram on March 6, 1467, and July 28, 1501. Ananthakshetram is thought to be Thiruvananthapuram. Two chapters in his 1501 work ‘Tantrasamgraham’ discusses solar and lunar eclipses.
Ancient Kerala had observatories where zealous skywatchers studied planetary movements, eclipses and recorded the passage of time. There was one at Mahodayapuram (the Kodungalloor of today) in the ninth century AD. It is said that during the reign of Sthanu Ravi Varma, an astrologer named Sankaranarayanan headed this observatory. A total solar eclipse was reported to have occurred on June 16, AD 866, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the coronation of Sthanu Ravi Varma. Epicycle model was used at the observatory to determine the planetary celestial longitude during solar eclipses, it is said. Renowned astronomers and mathematicians of those times included Samgramamadhavan, Puthumana Chomathiri, Parangottu Brahmadattan Namboothiri aka Jyeshtadevan and Thrikkandiyoor Achutha Pisharadi (who introduced Reduction to the Ecliptic about the same time Tycho Brahe tabled the concept in the West).
Coming to modern times, during the Raj, the observatory at Thiruvananthapuram was established. Among the scientific observations made then include a total solar eclipse viewed from Mahe in 1843, which was reported in astronomy journals in London.