Structure of the Universe

Srila Prabhupada told his disciples that eclipses occur when the invisible planet Rahu comes between the earth and the sun or moon. He also said that the moon is further away from the earth than the sun. This conversation took place in Los Angeles on June 22, 1975: Dr. Singh? He had become very doubtful when you told him they didn’t go to the moon. He was saying, “Do you think they really didn’t go?” He never thought of that before, that they might have just made a show. Prabhupada: No. If we believe in our Bhagavata (Srimad Bhagawatam), they have not gone. It is above the sun planet, 1,600,000 miles above. How they can go? Bahulasva: Srila Prabhupada, at night, when we see in the sky that moon, that is the same moon that is above the sun? Prabhupada: Yes. Bahulasva: Yes? So their miscalculations are due to their imperfect senses. Prabhupada: Yes. Bhavananda: Srila Prabhupada, I told Madhava dasa in Atlanta that you had said that the sun is actually closer than the moon, and he immediately was able to prove that that is correct. He sat down and he was able to prove something by the way they are measuring… They are measuring the distance incorrectly in terms of bending light rays and straight light rays. Prabhupada: Oh. Brahmananda: Sometimes the moon comes in front of the sun. Prabhupada: What is the front? Brahmananda: Between the sun and the earth the moon comes. Jagannatha-suta: Lunar eclipse. Prabhupada: No, no. Eclipse is different, not according to their theory. That planet is called Rahu. Devotees: Ah yes. Tamala Krsna: It’s not the moon. That’s Rahu. Revatinandana: So Rahu covers sometimes the sun and sometimes the moon? Prabhupada: Yes. Bahulasva: This Rahu planet’s invisible? We cannot see this with our eyes? Prabhupada: Yes.