Combust Planets in Kundli: Sun Separation and Degree Limits

What does “combust” mean in an Astrogyana Kundli?

This guide documents Astrogyana's current calculation profile. The table below is not a claim that every school or application uses identical limits. Start with the report's stated convention when comparing two charts.

The degree limits used in this report

An orb is an allowed angular distance. Here it is a threshold on longitude, measured around the zodiac. The current profile, described on the calculation methodology page (Hindi), uses these values:

The Moon's retrograde column is not applicable to its usual geocentric motion. The Sun is the reference body. The Sun, Rahu and Ketu receive no combustion classification in this profile; their dash is not the same as a calculated “No.” Nodes are not physical planets.

Read each number as an exclusive boundary. For direct Mercury, a separation below 14° produces “Yes”; a separation exactly equal to 14° does not. The comparison uses the calculated positions before a display rounds them.

Use the shorter distance around the longitude circle

Take the absolute difference between two longitudes expressed from 0° to below 360°. If it exceeds 180°, subtract that difference from 360°. For example, Sun 359° and Mercury 11° give an ordinary difference of 348°, but the shorter separation is 360° − 348° = 12°.

This is a difference in ecliptic longitude. It is not the full angular separation between two directions on the sky, which also involves latitude. Nor is it a physical distance measured in kilometres.

Both positions must use the same coordinate convention and instant. If the same ayanamsa offset is subtracted from both longitudes, their circular difference stays the same. Changing a shared zero point alone cannot turn a 12° gap into a different gap.

Seven worked examples, including exact boundaries

These values are invented to make the rules inspectable. Rows are independent examples, not a sequence of observed positions. An arcminute, written ′, is one sixtieth of a degree.

The first two rows deliberately keep the same positions and change the motion flag. A 12° gap is inside direct Mercury's 14° limit, but exactly on retrograde Mercury's 12° boundary. The latter therefore reads “No.” This illustrates the rule, not a prediction that Mercury changes motion while holding a real position fixed.

Jupiter shows the boundary more closely. At 11°00′ it is outside the strict limit; at 10°59′ it is inside. If a display rounds both to 11°, the printed number alone cannot explain the different flags. Retain greater precision when checking a borderline result.

Same sign, same house and combustion answer different questions

The Venus example crosses a sign boundary: 29° is in Aries and 31° is in Taurus, yet the separation is only 2°. A shared sign is therefore not required for this flag. Conversely, 60° and 88° are both in Gemini but 28° apart, beyond the stated Mars limit.

A house label also groups positions more broadly than a precise angular comparison. Use the conjunction and degree-distance guide to distinguish a shared chart compartment from a close separation. Two bodies printed in one box are not automatically close enough for combustion.

Likewise, Vargottama compares D1 and D9 signs. A retrograde marker describes motion. Neither column should be substituted for the Sun-distance calculation.

Does “combust” prove that a planet cannot be seen?

No. A fixed longitude test is not a complete visibility forecast. Swiss Ephemeris's heliacal-event documentation describes additional inputs such as the observer's location, object brightness, sky background and atmospheric conditions. Those determine whether an object can be detected near its first or last visibility.

That documentation is cited to explain the distinction; it is not the source of Astrogyana's threshold table or a claim that this flag runs a heliacal-visibility calculation. A “No” result also does not promise that a planet will be visible from your location tonight.

How to investigate two reports that disagree

1. Confirm the same birth or transit instant, including the time zone.
2. Read both full longitudes, including the signs and available precision.
3. Check which planet and threshold each report uses.
4. For Mercury or Venus, compare the retrograde flag.
5. Check whether equality counts as inside or outside the boundary.
6. Keep an unclassified dash separate from a computed negative result.

In an Astrogyana Kundli, use the planet-conditions table alongside the position table. If only a screenshot is available, ask for the full planetary row rather than inferring degrees from a chart drawing.

Keep the calculation separate from a life prediction

A reproducible flag explains how this report labels a position. Traditional interpretations may consider other chart factors and use different conventions. This single column does not establish a person's character, competence or future relationship, and it does not by itself justify buying a remedy.

A useful explanation should show the actual separation, name the chosen limit and then identify any additional interpretive assumptions. “Mercury is 12° from the Sun and marked direct, so this profile returns Yes” is a statement a reader can check.

Frequently asked questions