Ancient people were interested in technology. Astronomy. Geography. Participation and achievements of agriculture

china ancient achievements in science and technology

astronomy

A Brief Introduction to China's Ancient Astronomical Masterpieces

China's ancient astronomy made brilliant achievements, which gave birth to rich astronomical classics. Ancient astronomers wrote many famous chapters with their knowledgeable pen and ink, leaving us a very precious astronomical legacy.

Calendar works

Calendar is an important part of ancient astronomy in China. It includes not only the arrangement of years, months, days, hours and solar terms, but also the sun, months, planets, eclipses, shadows, missing engravings, the appearance of stars, the division of the sky and so on. Therefore, the ancient calendar in China has the nature of today's astronomical calendar.

Xia Zhengxiao is one of the oldest books in existence, and it is said to be an almanac of Xia Dynasty (about 2 1 century BC to16th century BC). It records the knowledge that people determine the farming season by observing the astronomical phenomena and phenology. It was originally an article in "Big Wear Li Ji" and later spread as a separate book. According to research, the text is only over 400 words. As far as astronomical knowledge is concerned, it records the monthly astrology in the order of twelve months, such as the stars that appear in the south in the morning and evening, the handle direction of Beidou, the position of the Milky Way in the sky, and the position where the sun reaches among the stars. In addition, there are monthly meteorological, phenological and agricultural activities to be done. For example, "In the first month, when the sting begins, the bow can be seen, and bucket handle hangs down at the beginning ..." Here, "Ju" and "Shen" are all star names, and "bucket handle" is the handle of the Big Dipper. Whether this book is an almanac of the Xia Dynasty is still inconclusive in academic circles, but it was written at the latest in the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC to 476 BC). According to the astronomical phenomena reflected in the book, there are obviously materials from earlier times.

Since the Han Dynasty (205 BC-220 AD), there have been complete and systematic calendar works, including about * * * calendars 100 published and unpublished in various historical dynasties, most of which are included in the Annals of the Twenty-four Histories, which is a treasure house for studying China's calendars. Now choose a profile.

"San Li", Liu Xin (? -23), generally considered to be based on the calendar written by Deng Ping, Luo and others in the first year of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (BC 104) with a slight modification. This is the earliest complete calendar in existence, and the basic contents of later calendars are generally available at this time. There are seven sections in the "three calendars": mother unification, mother training, five steps, unified skills, training skills, old-age skills and world classics. The basic constants and calculation methods of the movement of the sun and the moon include the tropic year, the length of the first lunar month, the number of months in a year, the solar eclipse cycle, the first lunar month and the calculation methods of solar terms. The basic constants and calculation methods of the walking star, including rendezvous period, operation dynamics, infection law, planetary position prediction, etc. The calculation method of star age is discussed. Shi jing talks about archaeological chronology. The "Three Calendars" also clearly stipulates that a leap is set in a neutral month, and a "Shangyuan" is chosen as the starting point of the calendar. These contents of these three calendars have a great influence on later calendars, and some of them are still in use today. Qian Daxin (1728- 1804), Li Rui (1773- 18 17), Dong Youcheng (1791-/.

The Dry Elephant Calendar was written by Liu Hong (about 135-2 10) in the 11th year of Jian 'an (AD 206). It has made new progress in the study of the moon's movement. It first proposed the movement of the perihelion (perihelion) of the moon, so as to calculate the perihelion length, and worked out the monthly departure table day by day in a perihelion month. It first proposed that the intersection angle of yellow and white was six degrees (and a number), and it first proposed the calculation method of the food limit in copulation calculation, which had a great influence on the calendar of later generations.

Huang Liji was written (544-6 10) in the fourth year of Renshou (A.D. 604) of Emperor Wendi, and was not published. Considering the non-uniformity of the apparent motion of the sun and the moon, Huang calculated the three moments of the rendezvous of the sun and the moon and established the equidistant quadratic difference interpolation method. In order to obtain the fixed-month correction value at any time, the formula of quadratic difference interpolation method in any interval is established. This plays an important role in the history of astronomy and mathematics in China. Interpolation methods for calculating the movement of the sun, the moon and the five stars in later calendars mostly inherited Huang's method and continued to develop.

Great Yan Li was written by one monk and one party (683-727) in the 15th year of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, and was later compiled by Chen (667-730). Published in the seventeenth year of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (AD 729), it was used in the tenth year of Tianbao (AD 75 1 year). In the 21st year of Kaiyuan (AD 733), it was introduced to Japan and used in Japan for nearly a hundred years. Da Yan Li is well-structured and well-organized. * * * There are seven calendars, and the specific calculation method is described. In addition, there are 12 calendar discussions (including three short examples) to talk about the theoretical problems of calendars. It was a paper written by Da Yanli, commonly known as Da Yanli Discussion. The formulation of the Great Yan Li started with the manufacture of instruments, and the basic astronomical data were determined through actual observation, which is a scientific method. After the establishment of the Dayan calendar, we have a correct and comprehensive understanding of the uneven motion of the sun and the moon. Through practical observation, the fallacy of "one inch difference, 108 thousand miles" has been broken for thousands of years. In the calculation method, the unequal interval quadratic difference interpolation method in Dayan Calendar is improved compared with that in Huangji Calendar.

The chronology was written by Guo Shoujing (A.D. 1280) in the 17th year from Yuan Shizu to Yuan Dynasty and published the following year. Dali in the Ming Dynasty continued to use its method, which was used for more than 360 years before and after. It was the longest calendar in ancient times and reached its peak in astronomical data and calculation methods. The calendar of China's classical system ends here. Later, the introduction of western astronomical knowledge affected the compilation of calendars. The first and second chapters of Chronicle of Service in the existing Historical Records of Yuan Dynasty were re-edited by Guo Shoujing on the basis of Wang Xun's first draft (1225- 128 1). At that time, although the Chronological Calendar had been published, various data tables and stepping algorithms had not yet been finalized. In the 18th year of Yuan Dynasty (A.D. 128 1), Wang Xun died unfortunately and was presided over by Guo Shoujing alone. He "neatly divided into two volumes compared with the whole class" * * * consists of seven parts, the content of which is similar to that of Dayan Calendar; However, it is important in the history of astronomy and mathematics to calculate the five-star positions of the sun, the moon and the sun by equidistant cubic difference interpolation, and to calculate the right ascension and the right declination according to the sun's yellow meridian by sagittal cyclotomic method and spherical triangle method. At present, many Chinese and foreign scholars are studying the service calendar.

The Calendar of Chongzhen was edited by Xu Guangqi (1562- 1633) and continued by Li Tianjing (1579- 1659) in the late Ming Dynasty, from the second year to the seventh year of Chongzhen (1629 to/. This paper introduces the knowledge of European classical astronomy from many aspects, including the basic theory of astronomy, trigonometry, geometry, astronomical instruments, the movement and eclipse of the sun, the moon and the five planets, the all-sky star map, and the conversion of Chinese and western units. * * * 46 species/KOOC-0/37, using Tycho (/KOOC-0/546-/KOOC-0/60/KOOC-0/) solar system. In terms of calculation methods, many chapters in Copernicus (1473- 1543) and Kepler's (1571-kloc-0/630) on the motion of Mars have been translated, and the calendar is being calculated. China's ancient astronomical system began to transform into modern astronomy.

At the end of Ming Dynasty, folk almanac was not compiled according to Chongzhen almanac. The almanac compiled by the Qing Dynasty according to the Chongzhen almanac was used until the end of the Qing Dynasty. There is 100 volume of New Calculations of the West in Sikuquanshu, which was edited by missionary Tang Ruowang (1591-kloc-0/666) according to the almanac of Chongzhen.

Astronomical stars account for works

In the development of ancient astronomy in China, astrology once surpassed its unique role. It is precisely because of the need of astrology that many ancient astrologers observed and recorded a large number of astronomical phenomena and compiled astrological works, which contained a lot of astronomical knowledge. So many astronomical works in ancient China were combined with astrology.

Shi Xing Jing is the earliest astronomical astrological book we have ever seen, written by Shi Shen of Wei during the Warring States Period (475 BC to 2265438 BC +0 years). Originally named Astronomy, the book covers the sun, the moon, planets, eclipses, stars, ancient astronomical terms, the concept of the universe and many other aspects, especially the star part is precious. ①

"Five Elements of Zhan" is a silk book unearthed from Mawangdui Han Tomb in Changsha in 1973, which is devoted to the movement of five planets and some astronomical knowledge. * * * A total of nine parts, eight thousand words. This book was written about one year before Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty (BC 179 to BC 164). It described the movements of the five planets in detail and became the pioneer of "stepping on the five stars" in later calendars. The book sets the rendezvous date of Venus and Saturn more accurately, and records the dynamics of wood, soil and gold in the 70 years from the first year of Qin Shihuang (246 BC) to the third year of Han Wendi (BC 177 BC) year by year. This is an important material for studying ancient planetary problems, which has attracted extensive attention of Chinese and foreign scholars.

There are also two important astronomical works worth mentioning in the Han Dynasty, namely "Tianguan Book" and "Zhoushi Book". Tiangong book is one of the historical records. In the first century BC, did Sima Qian write 145 or 135-? ) can be regarded as a summary of astronomical knowledge at that time. In particular, the part of the stars records the all-star stars recognized at that time, with more than 90 groups of names and more than 500 stars, which is the earliest complete document about all-star stars. Later, the naming of many stars was influenced by it. In addition to the stars, TianGuanZhi also includes planets, dividing lines, cycles of the sun and the moon, strange astronomical phenomena, clouds and gases, astronomical records and records. It is an authoritative document on the study of Qin and Han astronomy and even pre-Qin astronomy. Historical Records Tian Guan Shu initiated the tradition of writing Tian Wenzhi in the history of later generations. There are more than a dozen chronicles in Twenty-four History, which provide systematic and comprehensive information for studying the history of Chinese astronomy. Among them, Li (602-670) wrote The Book of Jin Tian Wen Zhi, which has been translated into English and published in Paris.

Zhou Pi 'ai suan Jing was written at the end of the Western Han Dynasty in the first century BC. It is one of the ten books of Suan Jing and is called Suan Shu, but in fact it is mainly an astronomical work. The book is divided into two volumes, focusing on a theory of cosmic structure at that time-Gaitian theory, and introducing in detail the calculation method of the structure of heaven and earth, the size of the sun's apparent orbit, the number of miles per week, and the making of a circular Gaitian theory star map. It is a systematic and detailed ancient book about Gaitian theory.

Song of Treading in the Sky is an astronomical work that introduces the name, quantity and position of the stars all over the sky in the form of poetry. According to legend, it was written by Wang Ximing in the Tang Dynasty, and it was named Dan Zi Yuan, so it was also called "Dan Zi Yuan's Song of Ascending to Heaven". There are seven words and one rhyme in the poem, and all over the sky stars are compiled in the poem according to the partition method of three walls and twenty-eight houses. Reading this poem is like walking in the stars. "There are pictures in sentences and images in words", which is easy to identify and remember, is a must-read for ancient people to learn astronomy. In the book "Lingtai Secret Garden" rebuilt in Song Dynasty, the song of the sky is matched with the star map, and the starry sky scene becomes clearer and clearer.

GVT Secret Garden was originally written by Yu Ji in the Northern Zhou Dynasty. According to Sui Shu's Jing Ji Zhi, there are * * * volumes 120, and only 20 volumes are left, which were rebuilt by Wang Anli and others in the Northern Song Dynasty. This book contains the equatorial coordinate values of 345 stars, which is the second existing catalogue in China. The date of observation was during the reign of Renzong You in the Northern Song Dynasty (A.D. 1049 to 1053), which is very helpful for studying the stargazing in the Song Dynasty.

Kaiyuan Zhan Jing, with a total volume of 120, was written by Qu Tan Sida in the Tang Dynasty. It was written in the 6th to 14th year of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (AD 7 18 to 726), so it is also called Zhan Jing in the Kaiyuan Period of the Tang Dynasty. Lost after the Tang Dynasty, in the forty-fourth year of Ming Shenzong Wanli (A.D. 16 16), Cheng Mingshan, a native of Shexian County, Anhui Province, accidentally discovered the belly of an ancient Buddha statue, which has been passed down again to this day. It is a complete collection of works on astronomical astrology before the Tang Dynasty, which extracts and compiles more than 70 ancient astronomical astrology books that can be seen at that time, covering astronomical astrology, climate, strange phenomena and so on. Astronomy has noun explanations, cosmology, the movement of the sun, moon and planets, and the distance of 28 nights. Gander, Shi Shen and Wu Xian described and checked the name, number and location of Quantianxing, including Shi's catalogue. In addition, there are basic data of Linde calendar used at that time, nine Indian calendars translated by the author and other 16 famous ancient calendars. This work provides us with important information on the history of astronomy before the Tang Dynasty. Thanks to the compilation of Kaiyuan Zhan Jing, the contents of many lost astronomical satellites in ancient times have been preserved, which makes Kaiyuan Zhan Jing a very valuable book.

In the Tang Dynasty, another astronomical astrological work, Yi Sizhan, was written by Li, which also extracted many fragments of ancient astrological works that had been lost, including astronomy, meteorology, astrology, etc., and the content was also very extensive. In the Ming Dynasty, there was also a drama Zhan Guan Xiang, whose author was unknown, and it was also a valuable work in Tian Wenxing's book Zhan.

There are some superstitious elements in the works of astronomical astrology, which should be discarded as dross. However, through a large number of astronomical phenomena and strange astronomical records, we can learn many valuable astronomical events in history, such as the explosion of nova supernovae, the appearance and division of comets, the change of meteor showers, the light change of variable stars, the scene of solar eclipse, the change of sunspot prominence and corona in historical years, the movement of planets and the change of earth-moon system, which is of great significance to the theoretical research of modern astronomy. A large number of ancient astronomical records are preserved in the astronomical astrological classics such as Twenty-four History, which provides irreplaceable ancient materials for modern astronomical research. Astronomers all over the world cherish it very much. Due to the modern utilization of these ancient materials, a new branch of astronomy-historical astronomy has been formed. This is one of the reasons why ancient astronomy in China has attracted special attention from the scientific community all over the world.