Astronomical Computation Engineer at Turing

Astronomical Computation Engineer | Remote | Turing

Turing is seeking a skilled engineer or computer scientist with a deep interest in Vedic Astrology to bridge traditional Jyotish calculations with modern computational astronomy. In this role, you will write Python-based verification scripts, validate planetary position computations, and generate ground-truth evaluation datasets for AI training pipelines.

About Turing

Based in San Francisco, Turing is the world's leading research accelerator for frontier AI labs and a trusted partner for global enterprises deploying advanced AI systems. Turing accelerates frontier research with high-quality data, advanced training pipelines, and top AI researchers specializing in coding, reasoning, STEM, multilinguality, multimodality, and agents.

Key Responsibilities

• Write Python verification scripts using pyswisseph and/or Skyfield to independently compute and verify:
  • Planetary longitudes (geocentric, apparent) for any given date/time/location
  • Nirayana longitude conversion using specified Ayanamsa systems (Lahiri, Krishnamurti, Raman, etc.)
  • Ascendant (Lagna) degree computation from birth data
  • House cusp calculations (Equal, Placidus, Koch, or Whole Sign systems)
  • Nakshatra and Pada determination from computed longitude
  • Sunrise/Sunset times for given coordinates and dates
• Build automated test harnesses to validate batches of Kundali computation problems against ephemeris-derived ground truth
• Create 10–15 code-verified evaluation problems per month with algorithmically generated and independently verified ground truth
• Document discrepancies between ephemeris sources and Ayanamsa systems with quantified error margins
• Develop utility scripts for Panchang element computation: Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga, and Karana
• Create a verification pipeline accessible to non-coding team members for spot-checking manually created problems
• Collaborate with classical scholars to translate traditional calculation methods into code and identify edge cases

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Physics, Astronomy, or Mathematics
• Minimum 3 years of professional Python development experience
• Demonstrated proficiency with at least one of the following:
  • pyswisseph — including swe_calc_ut(), swe_houses(), and swe_set_sid_mode() for sidereal/Nirayana calculations
  • Skyfield — including JPL ephemeris loading, planetary position computation, coordinate transforms, and time scale handling
• Understanding of Sayana (tropical) vs. Nirayana (sidereal) coordinate systems and Ayanamsa transformations
• Familiarity with astronomical time systems (UT, UTC, IST, Julian Date) and coordinate systems (ecliptic, equatorial)
• Basic understanding of Vedic Astrology concepts: Rashi, Nakshatra, Lagna, Bhava, and Graha
• Strong documentation skills with the ability to write clear, reproducible, well-commented code

Preferred Qualifications

• Active contributions to open-source Jyotish or astronomy projects
• Experience developing Jyotish software (web, mobile, or desktop horoscope tools)
• Knowledge of DE430/DE431 JPL ephemeris files and their precision characteristics
• Understanding of Surya Siddhanta algorithms and comparisons to modern ephemeris
• Published work or blog posts on computational astrology
• Familiarity with Lahiri, Krishnamurti, and Raman Ayanamsa values and year-by-year differences
• Experience with geodetic calculations (latitude/longitude to local sidereal time conversion)

Tools & Technologies

• Python 3.8+ with NumPy, pandas, datetime/pytz
• pyswisseph — Swiss Ephemeris Python bindings
• Skyfield — JPL-ephemeris-based positional astronomy
• astropy — coordinate transforms and time handling
• Jupyter Notebook for interactive verification and documentation
• Git/GitHub for version control
• Jyotish software (e.g., Jagannatha Hora) for cross-validation