The Chinese Journal for the History of Science and technology  NO.1 2009 

A Reinvestigation of the Calendrical Debate on  Dayanli and Jiuzhili 

Niu Weixing

(Department of the History and Philosophy of Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China)

Abstract The calendrical debate on  Dayanli and Jiuzhili is reinvestigated by means of rebuilding the astronomical-calendrical context both human-relationally and academically when the debate occurred. It is consequently elucidated that Indian astronomy had an important influence on the Chinese official astronomy in the Mid-Tang Dynasty, and the Jiuzhili held actually a powerful position in the imperial astronomical organization of that time. It is pointed out further that the real reason why Qutan-Zhuan made an accusation against Dayanli is that the Jiuzhili was incompletely copied by the Dayanli. It is finally indicated that the purpose of Qutan Zhuan’s accusation was to protect the high position of status of Indian astronomy in the official astronomical organization of Tang Dynasty, however the judgment made by the Tang government in some ways blocked the advanced component in the Indian astronomy to be assimilated by Chinese astronomy thenceforth. It is also pointed out that the accusation in a way reflected an intention to protect the legitimate status of the professional astronomers such as Nangong Yue and Chen Xuanjing who represented the official astronomical bureau.

Key words: Jiuzhili, Dayanli, Nangong Yue, Qutan Zhuan, Indian Astronomy

The Discovery of Yuan Tong’s Weidu Taiyang Tongjing:

With a Discussion of the Original Version of Bei Lin’s Huihui Lifa

SHI Yunli，WEI Tao

(University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026)

Abstract The Weidu taiyang tongjing (A Gateway to the Islamic Method for the Calculation of the Sun）was by the early Ming Chinese calendar maker Yuan Tong元统(fl.1384-1393), the director of the Bureau of Astronomy of the Ming dynasty. The book treats the parts on the calculation of the Sun in the Huihui lifa回回历法(The Chinese-Islamic System of Calendrical Astronomy, a set of Zīj in Chinese) and tries to convert the beginning of an astronomical year from the vernal equinox as adopted in the Islamic system to the winter solstice as adopted in the Chinese system. The book was imported into Korea during King Sejong’s reign (1418-1450) of the early Chôson dynasty, and was used and reprinted by Korean calendar makers of the period. The book contains new information about the production of the Huihui lifa. It also sheds new light on our discussion of the issue whether the Muslim calendar makers, while transmitting the Huihui lifa in China, really kept some secrete knowledge from their Han Chinese colleagues as having been accused of by some Chinese scholars since the mid 16th century.

Key Words Chinese-Islamic calendar, Islamic astronomy in China, Yuan Tong, Weidu taiyang tongjing, knowledge secrecy

On the Precision of Planetary Computations  in Song Dynasty—The Case of Outer Planets in  the Jiyuan Li

TANG  Quan，

（Department of Mathematics, Xianyang Normal University, Xianyang 712000, China;

Institute of Chinese ideology and culture, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China）

QU  Anjing

（Department of Mathematics, Northwest University, Xi’an, 712069, China）

Abstract  Planetary theory is one important part of traditional Chinese mathematical astronomy. Calendar-makers in Han Dynasty regarded the precision of positions of Five Planets as one standard for verifying whether one calendar is excellent or not. In the Northern  Song Dynasty, the deviation between the daily positions of the five planets are computed by Jiyuan Li and modern astronomical method that Calendar-makers permitted was only 2 degree, but in the Southern Song Dynasty, this deviation was only 1 degree. For analyzing the precision of the daily positions of the outer planets in Jiyuan Li, it was pointed out that the error of the daily positions of the Jupiter and Saturn in Jiyuan Li was accorded with the standard that the Calendar-makers of Song Dynasty expected but the error of the daily positions of the Mars didn’t.

Key words Jiyuan Li  planet right ascension ying suo cha

The Predictions of Real New Moon and Their Accuracies of the  8 Calendrical Systems

Including the  Jiyuan Li of the  Song Dynasty

TENG-Yanhui，WANG-Pengyun

(Research center for the History of Mathematics and Science,Northwest University,Xi’an 710127,China)

Abstract 　 The real new moon is an extremely important concept in Chinese ancient calendars. Its calculation would have direct influence on the accuracy of the solar and lunar eclipses. With the algorithm theoretical model of the real new moon in the ancient time of China, the computation process of the real new moon is reconstructed and a computer program of this computation is compiled．The paper calculates real new moon moments using the methods of the  8 calendars including Jiyuan Li. Comparing these calculations with modern values, we estimated the  accuracy of these calendars． Based on this，it concludes that low accuracy in real moon calculations was the reason that the calendar was frequently changed in the Song Dynasty.

Key words　 Jiyuan Li，real new moon，accuracy，equation of center

An Examination of Records of Astronomical Events  the Wei and Jin Dynasties

LIU Ciyuan

(National Time Service Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Lintong,Xi’an,710600)

Abstract The astronomical records in the Wei and the Jin Dynasties are preserved  in the Astronomical Treatises of the Jin shu, the Song shu and the Sanguo zhi.  . The author checked all the historical records with modern astronomical method. This paper shows the results of this examination with  examples and statistics.

Key words: Historical astronomical records, the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Corrections.

My Opinion on the Issue of “Mars Staying  at Antares”

WU Jia-bi

(National Astronomical Observatories, CAS, Beijing 100012, China)

Abstract  Historians have discovered that ome historically recorded events about “Mars staying at Antares” didn't occur at all. This paper suggests that these eventsIt may be explained by a nova outburst of Antares' companion star "the blue dwarf" with a period of probably 500 years. The oracle bone inscriptions about "a new big star escorts Antares" can be explained as a new big star was “merged into” the Antares. It may be also an outburst of  Antares' companion star.

Key words Ancient nova; Antares; Recurrent nova

Using Sequential Relations of Day-dates to Determine the Temporal Scope of W. Zhou Lunar Phase Terms

XU Fengxian

(Institute for the History of Natural Science, CAS, Beijing 100010, China)

The meaning of the lunar phase terms in bronze inscriptions is a difficult problem in W. Zhou chronology. The present article presents a method which avoids the questions of historical date and reign length of each king, and instead investigates the possible range of meaning of each lunar phase term by means of the relational constraints imposed by the calendar dates themselves. Seven groups of materials were selected, each having two or more lunar phases and calendar dates so their separation in days could be calculated. Within each group of inscriptions arithmetic constraints then make it possible to establish the range of days to which the lunar phase term could possibly refer. The results obtained from the seven groups are all consistent: jishengpo and jisipo ought to refer to the waxing and waning halves of the month, respectively. Chuji refers to certain days at the beginning of the month, probably the first occurrence of the auspicious heavenly stems (gan干).

Key words Bronze inscription, Lunar phase term, Chuji, Jishengpo, Jiwang, Jisipo

Formation and Evolution of the Chinese System of 28 Lunar  Lodges

Zhao Yongheng，Li Yong

(National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012，China)

Abstract: It is an important subject about the origin of 28 lunar lodges on the research of Chinese ancient astronomy. In this paper, the chronology of the formation of the Chinese system of 28 lunar lodges is determined as in BC 5670 by astronomical calculations based on the accordant degree with the celestial equator, lunar mansions and asterisms  of 28 lunar  lodges. The courses of the evolution and origin of the Chinese system of 28 lunar  lodges are discussed.

Key words：28 celestial lodges, chronology, origin

Gnomon Shadow Measurements and Changes in Cosmology since Han China

Li Geng 　Sun Xiaochun

(The Institute for the History of Natural Science, CAS, Beijing, China)

Abstract Measuring the length of gnomon shadow was one of the fundamental astronomical measurements in ancient China. In this paper we made a systematic analysis of gnomon shadow lengths for the twenty-four solar terms from Han to Tang dynasties. In doing this we discovered that these data featured two types. One type of data shows that they were not based on actual measurement, but were derived from the lengths for winter solstice and summer solstice by means of linear interpolation. The other type of data shows curved increase and decrease that matches closely to actual values for the twenty four solar terms. The first type of data appeared in the Zhou bi and the apocalyptic book on the Book of Changes, while the second type of data appeared in astronomical treatises some time later. This change is remarkable because it might have signified the transition in cosmological theory from gai tian (covering sky) to hun tian (celestial sphere) during the period from the first century B.C. to the second century A.D. 

Key words: Han Dynasties, Gnomon shadow lengths, Gaitian theory, Huntian theory.

A Study on Terms in History of Science and Technology about "Double Status”：

Using the Terms in History of Astronomy as An Example

WANG Yu-min

(Beijing Ancient Observatory, Beijing Planetarium, Beijing 100005, China)

Abstract Some history of science and technology terms have special "double status”. Some of which hold two posts both in the ancient and the modern times, and some of which overlap in the ancient and modern times together which are created in the modern times to define the ancient science and technology. The article gives some examples of astronomic history to analysis and study the terms of history of science and technology which have “double status”. And there are some new ideas of how to make the ancient terms serve the present.

Key words Terms of history of science and technology, double status, how to make the past serve the present

Science News vs. Astrological Beliefs

Chinese Records of the Transit of Venus of 1874

Lu Lingfeng　  Shi Yunli

(Dept. of History of Science, University of Science and Technology of China,

Hefei, 230026 )

Abstract 　The Venus transit is very important in the measuring of the distance between the sun and the earth. It ever occurred in 1874, but was visible only in China and some other places in eastern sphere. The astronomers of the western countries had to come to China to observe it. This article collects some Chinese records of the Venus transit of 1874, which including some prediction observation and some astrological discussion in the public.

Key Words  the Venus transit, the year of 1874, Zhongxi Wenjian Lu(the Journal of Sighting and Hearing in China and the West)

The Merge of  Western and Chinese Cosmological Ideas es  from the Late Ming to Early Qing Dynasties

—A Case Study of the Debate on the Planetary Rotational Direction in China

Ning Xiaoyu

(Institute for the History of Natural Science, CAS, Beijing 100010, China)

Abstract　 From the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties to the Qing Dynasty, the debate on the planetary rotational direction lasted for about two thousands years in China. Based on the previous  researches, the paper goes further to argue that there has been an original conception  of the celestial layering in the ancient China before the West and Eastern Han Dynasties. However, because the arising of the right rotation doctrine of the sun, the moon and five planets under the frame of the Spherical Celestial Theory repels, from the foundation, the notion of celestial layering and the observational facts of the seven planets keeping different distance to the earth, the Chinese celestial sphere had remained a single-layer form for two thousand years. During the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, with the introduction of the western cosmological theory, especial the thought of seven planets locating different celestial layers, into China, it spurred re-debate revolving the Chinese ancient problem of the rotational direction of planets. The two most outstanding astronomers, Wang Xichan and Mei Wendingat the early Qing Dynasty, attempted to solve the problem by absorbing the newly-introduced Western ideas. Both unparalleled astronomical masters made a choice completely opposite to each other. The paper discusses their bifurcation is not only the reflection of the difference of their understanding about the western astronomy, but also is the reflection of difference of their understanding about the relationship between astronomy and the Confusion philosophy starting the Song Dynasty.　 

Key words  the planetary motion，right or left rotation，the celestial layering，seven planets locating seven celestial spheres, cosmology

Strengthen the Foundation, Broaden the Vision:

Suggestions on the Study of the History of Chinese Astronomy

Xi Zezong (Posthumous)