Operation Rahu XVI How far is the moon

Rahu is an Asuras in Vedic demonology. Rahu was born the son of Viprachitta and Sinhika. Disguised as a god, a snake demon sat between the sun and moon while gods and demons alike came together to produce the nectar of immortality. In Hindu tradition, Rahu is a severed head of an asura, that swallows the sun causing eclipses. He is depicted in art as a serpent with no body riding a chariot drawn by eight black horses. Astronomically, Rahu and Ketu denote the points of intersection of the paths of the Sun and the Moon as they move on the celestial sphere. Therefore, Rahu and Ketu are respectively called the north and the south lunar nodes. The fact that eclipses occur when the Sun and the Moon are at one of these points gives rise to the myth of the swallowing of the Sun and the Moon by the demon snake.

Calculating the Ratio:

By comparing the size of the shadow to the size of the Moon, he could then calculate the distance to the Moon relative to the Earth's radius. 

·       His Estimate:

Aristarchus estimated that the Moon was about 60 times the Earth's radius away, which is remarkably close to the modern accepted value of 60.3 Earth radii. 

·       Remarkable Achievement:

This was a remarkable feat for an ancient astronomer, as it required a combination of observation, geometric reasoning, and a good understanding of the celestial sphere. 

 

 

 

 

 

How Aristarchus calculated distance Earth to Moon 

 

1.The Greeks knew that earth as a sphere and therefore the size of earth’s conical shadow length is 108 times of earth’s diameter

 

 

 

 

2.Total Lunar eclipse could happen when the moon is within the conical shadow 

 

 

 

3.If the moon is at the tip of the conical shadow, only partial lunar eclipse will happen

 

 

 

4.If the moon is beyond the conical shadow, lunar eclipse will never happen 

 

 

 

5.The moon’s shadow must reach earth so that the solar eclipse can occur

 

 

 

 

 

6.The following figures are demonstrating how Aristarchus’s equation is formed 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Applied Aristarchus’s equation in Operation Rahu XVI 

Total lunar eclipse occurred on March 14, 2025 and visible in Iowa State USA 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choose a photo of a partial eclipse to create a geometrical circle of the moon and the earth’s umbra  

 

 

Find out the ratio between the diameter of the moon and the diameter of the earth

 

 

 

Here we have 22.5 to 54

 

 

 

From Operation Eratosthenes March 21 – 23, 2025 we have the earth’s circumference 42,861 Km

 

 

 

Earth’s diameter is 13,637 Km

 

 

 

Distance Earth to Moon is 433,175 Km

 

 

 

The actual distance Earth to Moon is 401,461 Km

 

 

Conclusion

 

Operation Rahu XVI is a combination of the knowledge of the two ancient Greek astronomers, Aristarchus of Samos and Eratosthenes of Cyrene

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Normally, the distance of earth to the moon is not always the same because the moon’s orbit is not exactly a circle. At perigee, the point at which the moon is closest to Earth, the distance is approximately 360,000 Km. At apogee, the point at which the moon is farthest from Earth, the distance is a approximately 405,000 Km.