22. COMPARISON WITH MODERN
SCIENCE
The standard values
for the tropical year and annual precession in longitude determined
by Simon Newcomb for the epoch 1900.0 (mean noon at Greenwich 31 December
1899) are
The sidereal year and its precession may be derived from these values.1 tropical year (1900.0) = 365.2421988 mean solar days precession in longitude in 1 tropical year (1900.0) = 50".2564.
Table V compares the astronomical quantities used in the construction of Hindu cosmological time cycles with those of Simon Newcomb for the epoch 1900.0.360° 1 sidereal year (1900.0) = ---------------(365.2421988) + 1 360° - 50".2564 = 366.2563627 diurnal revolutions of the Earth. precession in longitude 365.2563627 in 1 sidereal year = -----------(50".2564) 365.2421988 = 50".2583.
There is very close agreement between the length of the year as measured by Hindu cosmological time cycles and that determined by modern science. If the great antiquity of the cycles can be further demonstrated by other evidence, astronomers might do well to look more closely at the supposition that the rotation of the Earth is being sensibly retarded by "tidal friction".QUANTITY HINDU NEWCOMB DIFFERENCE constant of precession 50".4/yr. 50".2583/yr. 0".1417/yr. sidereal year 365.2563795 365.2563627 1.4 sec/yr. tropical year 365.2421756 365.2421988 -2.0 sec/yr. TABLE V