On Some Comet Observations in Ancient India

A brief review of the ancient prose text of Parasara, referring to comets, as transmitted by later non religious Sanskrit literature is presented. The information passed on appears to belong to 2^nd millennium BC or earlier. A sequence of 26 Comets with names and purported effects are given. The form of each comet sometimes with its position in the sky is presented vividly. A year number, mentioned as the time interval between each appearance, is also given. The total period covered adds to about 1300 years. The first comet is said to have appeared in the era of the Floods. This would date the Floods to about 2500 2700 BC. Whether this has any historical importance needs to be further investigated. The names of many comets correspond with names of Vedic deities. This raises the possibility of comet sightings being alluded to in the Rig Veda.