Astronomy & Cosmology
Estimate of Earth's circumference
5th-7th c. CEAryabhata / BrahmaguptaAryabhatiya; BrahmasphutasiddhantaPan-Indian / unspecified
401 CE
Provided estimates of Earth's size reasonably close to reality.
- Dated
- 401–700 CE
- As scholars put it
- 5th-7th c. CE
- Originator
- Aryabhata / Brahmagupta
- Source text
- Aryabhatiya; Brahmasphutasiddhanta
- Region
- Pan-Indian / unspecified
- Discipline
- Astronomy & Cosmology
- Evidence
- Documented
- Confidence
- Medium
- Verification
- Reference-cited
Meanwhile in the West
Eratosthenes had measured it earlier in Greece.
Fair to say
Less accurate than Eratosthenes' earlier measurement.
Path to modern innovation
Correct sense of a large, spherical Earth.
Transmission
Independent Indian estimates.
References
- 1Aryabhatiya
- 2Brahmasphutasiddhanta
Further reading
Corrections and additional sources: edit IND-028 on GitHub.