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New Computational Study Correlates 3rd Millennium BCE 'Yajurvedic' Star Descriptions to the Precise Observation of the Great Conjunction of Mars and Jupiter in 2650 BCE

📅 April 8, 2026 📰 Indian Journal of History of Science
New Computational Study Correlates 3rd Millennium BCE 'Yajurvedic' Star Descriptions to the Precise Observation of the Great Conjunction of Mars and Jupiter in 2650 BCE

Researchers at the National Institute of Advanced Studies have published a paper utilizing astronomical simulation software to verify celestial references found in the Taittiriya Samhita. The study confirms that the described relative positions of Mars and Jupiter align perfectly with a rare planetary conjunction occurring in the constellation of Rohini during the mid-3rd millennium BCE.

This provides a robust scientific anchor for the chronology of Vedic liturgical texts and demonstrates a high degree of observational rigor among early Indo-Aryan astronomers. The research suggests that the compilers of the Yajurveda were maintaining a detailed, multi-generational log of planetary movements to calibrate their ritual calendars.

Original source: Indian Journal of History of Science