Flights to the Moon (Srila Prahupada)

Distance to the Moon
	Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.6-7. June 8, 1975, Honolulu. This universe is one of the universes. There are millions of universes. We do not know. We do not know even one universe. We cannot study even one universe. They are... They were -- not are -- trying to go to the moon planet, but that has become a failure. From sastra we understand that the moon planet is situated 1,600,000 miles away from the sun, and the sun is situated in the middle of the universe. And the total diameter from one circumference to the other of the universe, it is four billions of miles. So the sun is situated at the point of two billions of miles from the circumference of the universe, and above the sun planet, 1,600,000, there is the moon. And above that there is Venus, there is Jupiter, there is Mars -- all difference of 1,600,000s of miles. So it is not possible to go to the moon planet, because first of all the sun is a little... According to the modern scientists' calculation it is 93,000,0000. Taking it, accepted, as 93,000,000's from this earthly planet, then again add 1,600,000, that means 94,600,000 miles away from the earth there is the moon planet. It is not possible. Therefore they are now silent. They cannot go there; neither ever they went there. This is the conclusion.	Conversation at Bhaktivedanta Manor. July 24, 1976, London. Prabhupada: It requires a little mathematical astronomy knowledge to translate this very difficult subject in the Sanskrit language. I have done as far as possible, but when we make our planetarium, we have to consult the Indian astronomers or mathematicians. In this way, we have to correct if there is discrepency. Harikesa: Every time I tried, it was a failure. I couldn't find anybody who knew.
	Conversation at Bhaktivedanta Manor. July 24, 1976, London. That's all right, you can calculate [indistinct] now. I want just a rough estimate that if moon is accepted above the sun, it is their calculation the sun is from the earth at a distance of 93 million miles. So 93 million miles and 1,600,000 is about 95 million miles. So 95 million miles, even at the speed of 25,000 per hour, how they can they go in four days? When there is argument, I shall take your words in my favor. [laughter] That is the way. Whatever is in my favor, I shall take as good. And Mars is beyond that. So theother day we calculated that. At the rate of 18,000 miles per hour, it takes about seven months to go to the moon planet. And above that, another 1,600,000 miles above, will be Mars. So it will take about nine months for that.	(relativity of time, space and speed) Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.23. July 7, 1975, Chicago. Ten thousand of years means according to the demigods' years. Their duration and our duration is: our one day..., our six months, their one day. That is admitted by scientists that you go higher, the relative time is different. Just like when the Russians first of all sent that Sputnik, in one hour, twenty-five minutes, they surrounded all over the world. Now it is relative. You have got a speedy vehicle. So generally, the 25,000 miles, this earth, it takes long, long time, even you go by aeroplane But you have got..., when you have got a better machine, it is finished within one hour, twenty-five minutes. So as you go higher, higher, the time duration becomes different. This is called relativity. We hear from the Bhagavad-gita the duration of life of Brahma, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmano viduh [Bg 8.17]. Our some millions of years is equal to twelve hours of Brahma.
	Morning Walk. May 16, 1975, Perth. My point is: if the moon is the first planet nearer, why they did not start Monday? If the sun is after, then Sunday. This is the proof that first sun, then moon, not that first moon and then sun. Hmm? That is the description in the Bhagavatam. One after another, one after another. Sixteen thousand, sixteen hundred thousand miles apart. First of all sun, then moon, then, what is called? Mars. You have seen... This "Sunday, Monday," means first sun, then moon. Where they are going? They are going to hell, not in the moon. This Vedic description is right. Because first study, Sunday... That, we offer gayatri to the sun. So the moon is after the sun -- this is the proof, first Sunday, then Monday... And if they go, then they will have the right information. But they will never be able to go... That was his only demonic proposal, that "He make staircase." He said that "Why you are undergoing so much austerities to go to the heavenly planets? I shall make a staircase. You will go."... Therefore it is a common say in, hearsay in the, in India, that ravanera svargera sindi: "The proposal is just like Ravana proposed to make a staircase to the heavenly planets."
		(They flew, but they weren't allowed in, they didn't see anything and immediately returned with a handful of dust) Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.23. July 7, 1975, Chicago. There is kingdom. There is city. There is, I mean, population. Otherwise, how Krsna went there long, long ago, forty millions of years, and He instructed this Bhagavad-gita to the sun-god, Vivasvan? His name is also there. Not fictitious. This is the parampara system. Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam. So we have got picture in our Bhagavad-gita: the sun-god is listening. The sun-god, there is sun-god. Just like here we have got a god, Ford or Nixon, similarly, in every planet there is a god. Therefore it is described, yanti deva-vrata devan [Bg 9.25]. All these gods, they are demigods. They are not God. God is one. So deva. That... If you try to go to the sun planet, moon planet or any other planet, millions and trillions of planet, you can go. Higher planetary system, lower planetary system, that you can go. That is... The description is there in the sastras. They are going to the moon. Of course, I have several times... They have never gone, but anyway... You can go to the moon planet. How you can go, the description is there. So moon planet is not vacant. That is counted amongst the heavenly planets. If anyone can go there, he can live there for ten thousands of years. So in this way, if you like to go to the other, higher planetary system, there is system how to go there. As we have got system here in this world... If anyone wants to come to America, he has to arrange for visa and passport and so many things. Without going through the system, you cannot enter by force. So these foolish people are thinking that "There is no living entity. It is lying vacant, and by force we can go there." And after spending millions of dollars, we come back with some dust, that's all. [laughter] And become proud that we have gone to moon planet. So the Vedic sastra does not say so. But you can go there. You can live there, a higher standard of comfortable life, higher duration of life. Yanti deva-vrata devan [Bg 9.25].