The most interesting folklore

Chapter 35 The Most Interesting Astronomical Calendar (1)
1. What is the earliest work on astronomy and astrology?

"Shi Shi's Star Book" is the earliest astronomical and astrological work that we have seen so far. It was written by Wei Guoshi Shen during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).The original name of the book is "Astronomy", and the content involves many aspects such as the sun, the moon, planets, eclipses, stars, ancient astronomical terms, and the concept of the universe, especially the stars are more valuable.

3. Are Gan De and Shi Shen ancient astronomers?

Gan De was a native of Chu during the Warring States Period.After long-term astronomical observations, Gan De and Shi Shen each wrote a book on astronomy.Later generations combined these two works and called it "Gan and Shi Xing Jing", which is the earliest extant work on Tianzhang in the world.The book records the names of 800 stars, of which the positions of 121 stars have been determined. It is the earliest star catalog in the world.The book also records the movements of the five planets including Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus, and Water, and points out the rules of their appearance and disappearance.

Shi Shen was an astronomer and astrologer in Wei State during the Warring States Period.Shi Shen once systematically observed the movement of the five planets of gold, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn, discovered the rules of their appearance and disappearance, recorded their names, and determined the azimuths of 121 stars. The data were used by later generations of astrologers. "Gan Shi Xing Jing" was lost in the Song Dynasty, and today only excerpts of it can be seen from the "Kaiyuan Zhan Jing" of the Tang Dynasty.It is 200 years earlier than the first star catalog in Europe compiled by the Greek astronomer Hipparchus. Gan and Shi's Celestial Book occupies an important position in the history of astronomy in my country and the world.

3. Is Kaiyuan Divination)) a divination book?
"Kaiyuan Zhanjing" has a total of 120 volumes. It was written by Qutan Xida in the Tang Dynasty.It was lost after the Tang Dynasty. In the 6th year of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty (14), Cheng Mingshan, a native of Shexian County, Anhui Province, accidentally discovered it in the belly of an ancient Buddha statue, and it has been passed down to this day.It is a complete collection of astronomical and astrological works before the Tang Dynasty. It is compiled by excerpts from more than 718 ancient astronomical and astrological books that can be seen at that time. The content involves astronomical astrology, climate, strange phenomena and other aspects.

Another book on astronomy and astrology in the Tang Dynasty, "Yisi Zhan", was written by Li Chunfeng. It also excerpted fragments of many ancient astrology works that are now lost, including astronomy, meteorology, and astrology, and the content is also very extensive.In the Ming Dynasty, there was also a book called "Guanxiang Playing Divination", the author of which cannot be tested, and it is also a valuable work in astronomy and astrology.

4. Are Sinan and the compass the same thing?

Sinan is the earliest compass invented in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods of my country to indicate the direction of north and south, but it is not a compass.

As early as 2000 years ago in the Han Dynasty (206-220 years ago), the Chinese discovered that a stone on the mountain had the magical property of absorbing iron, and found that a long stone could guide north. They called this stone magnet.Skilled craftsmen in ancient times polished and chiseled the magnet into a spoon shape. The south pole (s pole) of the magnet was ground into a long handle, placed on a smooth mirror-like chassis made of bronze, and then cast with directional engravings.When the magnetic spoon stops rotating on the chassis, the handle of the spoon points to the true south, and the mouth of the spoon points to the true north. This is the earliest direction-indicating instrument in the world invented by our ancestors, called Si Nan.Among them, "Si" means "referring".

5. Is Guibiao an ancient timekeeping watch?
Guibiao is a simple but important astronomical instrument, which consists of a vertical gauge (generally eight feet high) and a horizontal gauge.The main function of Guibiao is to determine the location of the winter solstice, and then determine the length of the return year. In addition, the direction and solar terms can be determined by observing the changes in the surface shadow.

A long time ago, people discovered that houses, trees and other objects would cast shadows under the sunlight, and the changes of these shadows had certain rules.So a pole or stone pillar is erected on the flat ground to observe the changes of the shadow. This pole or pillar is called "watch". Use a ruler to measure the length and direction of the shadow, and you can know the time.Later, it was found that the shadow of the surface at noon was always cast in the direction of true north, so a ruler made of stone slabs was spread on the ground, perpendicular to the vertical table, one end of the ruler was connected to the base of the surface, and the other end was extended to the direction of true north. This ruler made of slate is called "Gui".At noon, when the shadow was cast on the stone slab, the ancients could directly read the length of the shadow.

After long-term observation, the ancients not only learned that the surface shadow is the shortest at noon in a day, but also concluded that at noon on the summer solstice within a year, when the sun is shining brightly, the surface shadow is the shortest; at noon on the winter solstice, when the sun is shining obliquely, the surface shadow is the longest.Therefore, the ancients used the length of the shadow at noon to determine the solar terms and the length of a year.For example, if the longest value of the surface shadow is measured twice in a row, the number of days between the two longest values ​​is the length of a year.

On the existing observatory in Dengfeng, Henan, the 40-foot-high platform and the 128-foot-long measuring ruler are a huge standard.

6. What does the armillary sphere measure?
Zhang Heng is an important representative of the Huntian theory. He believed that the sky is a sphere, which wraps the earth in the sphere, and the sphere keeps rotating.On the basis of this theory, Zhang Heng designed a new type of instrument 9S for observing astronomical phenomena—a water-leaking armillary sphere.

The armillary sphere is the general term for the armillary sphere and the armillary sphere. It is a spherical model made of refined copper.The armillary sphere uses gears to drive the armillary image to rotate around its axis, and make the rotation of the armillary image equal to the diurnal motion of the earth, so that the celestial phenomena that can be observed by the naked eye at that time can be expressed.People can clearly observe the rise and fall of the sun, moon and stars as long as they look at this instrument, which was a remarkable creation at that time.
Seng Yixing and Li Chunfeng in the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Sixun and Su Song in the Yuan Dynasty made improvements on the basis of Zhang Heng's armillary sphere and made the earliest astronomical clock in the world.

7. Was it the Chinese who measured the length of the meridian for the first time?

The person who measured the length of the meridian for the first time in the world was a monk and his party (683, 27 years), whose real name was Zhang Sui.A famous astronomer and eminent monk in the Tang Dynasty.Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi took advantage of his reputation and wanted to make friends with him. After he refused, he hid in Songshan Mountain and became a monk with his hair cut.

724叫25年，他组织了全国13个点的天文大地测量。这次测量以天文学家南宫说等人在河南的工作最为重要。一行从南宫说等人测量的数据中，得出了北极高度相差一度，南北距离就相差351里80步(合现代131．3千米)的结论。这个数据就是地球子午线一度的弧长。这与现在计算北纬4~5地方子午线一度弧长110．6千米，仅差20．7千米。唐朝测出子午线的长度，在当时的世界上还是第一次。

8. Were the Chinese people the first to record sunspots?

Sunspots are darkened areas on the sun's surface.Constantly in flux due to the stimulating movement of matter.Some exist for less than a day, some for more than a month, and some for as long as half a year.

The earliest record of sunspots recognized in the world is the phenomenon of sunspots seen in March of the first year of Heping in the Western Han Dynasty (28 BC), which was recorded in "Hanshu?"Five Elements": "The first year of Heping...March has not passed, the sun rises yellow, there is black air as big as money, and it lives in the center of the sun." This record describes the location and time of sunspots in detail.In fact, in our country, there is an earlier record of sunspots, "Huainanzi": "There is Bawu in the sun".Saddle black, that is, the phenomenon of sunspots. "Huainanzi" was written around 140 BC.Europe did not see this phenomenon until 1610, when Galileo used a telescope.

According to the collection and collation of Chinese researchers, there are 165 observations of sunspots recorded in the history books from 1643 BC to 16 AD (the 127th year of Ming Chongzhen).These ancient observation data provide extremely precious, detailed and reliable data for modern people to study solar activities.

9. Was it the first Chinese to discover Jupiter's satellites?

The ancients in our country called Jupiter the Sui Xing, and the folks also called it Tai Sui.The earliest discovery of Jupiter's satellites was also in ancient my country.During the Warring States Period, Chinese astronomer Gan De discovered the satellites of Jupiter.In the "Kaiyuan Zhanjing" compiled by Qutan Sida in the Tang Dynasty, Gan De was quoted as saying: Jupiter "... if there is a small red star attached to its side, it is called an alliance." "Alliance" means that a small star and Jupiter form a system. According to today's data, Io and Ganymede are orange-yellow, Europa and Callisto are red-yellow, and the ancient "red" refers to shallow red. "Little Red Star" is a satellite. Jupiter has 16 satellites, of which 4 are larger.The age of Gander's discovery was about the summer of 364 BC, and Galileo discovered it with a telescope at the end of 1609.

10. Which year names in history are taken from "Book of Changes"

In ancient China, many emperors would seek advice from Feng Shui masters in order to ensure the stability of the country. Sometimes the emperor's year and even the name of the dynasty were also taken from the "Book of Changes".Liu Che, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, called the first year of his accession to the throne the year of "Jianyuan".Sima Yan in the Western Jin Dynasty once had the year name "Xianning", which was taken from the "Book of Changes": "The first common thing, Xianning of all nations. "Yang Guang, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, took the year name "Daye" in 605, from "Book of Changes Xici Shang" "The great cause of great virtue is perfect, the great cause of being rich is called great cause, and the daily ruin is called Shengde'.

Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty once had the reign title "Zhenguan", which was taken from "Book of Changes - Xici Xia": "The way of heaven and earth, Zhenguan is also".Zhen, Zheng also; view, show also. "Zhenguan" shows others with righteousness.Tang Gaozong once took the year name "Xianheng", which was taken from the "Book of Changes": "Hanhong is vast, crystal things are Xianheng." Xian, all, all; Heng, beautiful.Xianheng, that is, everything is safe and well.

Kublai Khan, the ancestor of the Yuan Dynasty, adopted the suggestion of Liu Bingzhong, a bureaucrat of the Han nationality, and changed the name of the country to "Yuan".This is taken from "Da Zai Qian Yuan" in "Book of Changes", Zai is a modal particle, and Qian Yuan means heaven.The word "Ming" in the Ming Dynasty is taken from "The End of the Ming Dynasty" in the "Book of Changes". Daming refers to the sun, which means that it will shine forever like the sun, so the dynasty is named "Daming".

11. Is Xia Xiaozheng the earliest almanac?

"Xia Xiaozheng" is one of the earliest existing documents in my country, and it is also the earliest extant almanac that adopts summer time. "Xia Xiaozheng" consists of two parts: "Jing" and "Biography", with a total of more than 400 characters.Its content is to record monthly phenology, weather, astrology and relevant major political events, especially major events in production, according to 12 months of the year.The book reflects the agricultural production at that time, including the cultivation of grains, fiber plants, dyes, horticultural crops, sericulture, animal husbandry and gathering, fishing and hunting.Sericulture and horse breeding were highly valued. The castration of horses, the cultivation of indigo for dyes and the cultivation of horticultural crops such as yun, peach, and apricot were all recorded for the first time.

12. Is the almanac and the imperial calendar the same thing?

Archeology has found that China began to have a calendar more than 4000 years ago, and the calendar recorded in oracle bone inscriptions has a history of more than [-] years. "Huang Li" and "Huang Li" are both almanacs used in ancient China, but they are not the same thing.

Huangli is the abbreviation of Huangdi Calendar.Lu Zhaolin, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, "Zhonghele·Godeng Fengzhang": "Yanguo mourns treasures, and Huangli opens up wisdom."The legend of the Huangdi calendar is a calendar created by the Yellow Emperor. It is the oldest of the six ancient calendars (Huangdi calendar, Zhuanxu calendar, Xia calendar, Yin calendar, Zhou calendar and Lu calendar) used before the Western Han Dynasty in my country.So people used to call the almanac as the almanac.

The "imperial calendar" is the "official" calendar.The emperors of all dynasties attached great importance to the calendar.The almanac can be widely circulated among the people only after the printing technique.The first woodblock-printed almanac in China was the "Xuanming Calendar" formulated in the ninth year of Yamato (835) by Tang Wenzong (Li Ang). The "Xuanming Calendar" has detailed records of the sun and moon, hours and seasons.Tang Wenzong ordered that the almanac must be approved by the emperor before it can be promulgated, and stipulated that only official seals were allowed, and private seals were not allowed.Since then, the almanac has become the "imperial calendar".The "imperial calendar" at that time divided the year into twelve volumes, each volume was one month, and the month and date were written on each page. Give it to the emperor to have a look, and then hand it to the historian for archiving.The term "Huangli" is said to be related to Song Taizong. Every year, Song Taizong gave a calendar to each of the civil and military rich. This calendar is engraved with the lunar calendar and general knowledge on farming and planting.Because the almanac was sent by the emperor, it is called "imperial calendar".

"Huangli" and "Huangli" are homophonic, so they are also used to be called "Huangli".In the Qing Dynasty, the Huangli also had a name called "Shixianshu" or "Xianshu". Is that to avoid Emperor Qianlong's Aixinjueluo?The name of Hongli was taboo and changed.

13. What is "Dayan Calendar"

Dayan calendar is also called "Kaiyuan Dayan calendar".The 17-year calendar was implemented from the 729th year of Tang Kaiyuan (29 AD).It got its name because the legislation was based on the number of Xiang Dayan in "Yi".Compiled for the monks and his party.The monk and his party, formerly known as Zhang Sui, were born in Changle, Weizhou (now Nanle County, Puyang City, Henan Province) in the Tang Dynasty.Zhang Sui was gifted and intelligent since he was a child, studious and read a lot.When he was young, he went to Chang'an to study with a teacher, and studied astronomy and mathematics. He made great achievements and became a famous scholar. Later, he became a monk.After Tang Xuanzong came to the throne, he was called to be the astronomy consultant of the imperial court.

Zhang Sui began to compile the calendar in 725, and completed the draft before his death, namely "Da Yan Li", which was promulgated in 728. "Da Yan Li" is divided into seven chapters, including Ping Shuo Wang and Ping Qi; 72 periods, the daily position and movement of the sun and the moon, the astrology seen every day and the time of day and night, solar eclipse, lunar eclipse and the positions of the five major planets.The structure is rigorous and the calculation is logical. In the calculation of solar eclipse, for the first time, the eclipse situation in different locations across the country is taken into account. "Da Yan Li" is more precise than previous calendars, and it is a lesson for later generations of calendars.

14. Who compiled the "Daming Calendar"
Most of Zu Chongzhi's achievements in astronomy and calendar are included in the "Daming Calendar" compiled by him.Before Zu Chongzhi, people used the "Yuanjia Calendar" compiled by the astronomer He Chengtian.After years of observation and calculation, Zu Chongzhi found that there were large errors in the "Yuanjiali".So Zu Chongzhi started to formulate a new calendar. In the sixth year of Daming (462 A.D.) of Emperor Xiaowu of Song Dynasty, he compiled the "Daming Calendar".The Ming calendar was not adopted until Zu Chongzhi's lifetime, and it was not officially promulgated until the ninth year of Tianjian (510 A.D.) of Emperor Wu of Liang.

The length of the synodic month used in the "Da Ming Calendar" is 29 days, which is less than one second different from the length of the synodic month measured by modern astronomical means.In the "Daming Calendar", Zu Chongzhi proposed a new leap week with 5309 leap months inserted in 391.According to the new leap week and the length of the synodic month, we can find out that the length of the return year in the "Daming Calendar" is 144 days, which is only 365/2428ths of a day away from the length of the return year measured in modern times, that is to say, there is only a difference of 46 days in a year. Seconds, this is very accurate information.

15. Why divide the year into 24 solar terms
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the concept of Rinanzhi and Ribeizhi existed among the people of our country.Later, people divided the year into 24 equal parts according to the relationship between the positions of the sun and the moon at the beginning of the month and the middle of the month, and natural phenomena such as the weather and the growth of animals and plants, and gave each part a proper name, which is 24. solar term.

In the "December Ji" of "Lu's Spring and Autumn", there are eight solar term names such as Lichun, Vernal Equinox, Lixia, Summer Solstice, Liqiu, Autumnal Equinox, Lidong, and Winter Solstice.These 8 solar terms are the most important of the 8 solar terms.These eight solar terms mark the transition of seasons and clearly delineate the four seasons of the year.Later, in the book "Huainanzi", there was the name of the 24 solar terms exactly the same as the modern one.

What is the position of 16 and 24 solar terms in the lunar calendar

The 24 solar terms occupy an important position in the lunar calendar and play a very important role in people's production and life.

When calculating the lunar calendar, the "winter solstice" is in the primary position, and the determination of the winter solstice also determines the length of the lunar calendar (whether it is 12 months or 13 months).In today's lunar calendar calculations, the "spring equinox" is also very important (the return year is defined by its starting point).

In addition, the 22 solar terms are the symbols of the lunar calendar months, and they are also an important basis for the lunar calendar to be intercalated; the "four standing" in the 22 solar terms are the official starting point of the traditional four seasons in our country. The 22 solar terms are the starting point of the traditional Chinese calendar (the Chinese zodiac calendar, which itself is a part of the lunar calendar, similar to the Western solar zodiac).

Marking the solar terms in the lunar calendar month itself reflects the main function of the solar terms, which is a sign that the lunar calendar is different from other yin-yang calendars abroad.The solar terms in the lunar calendar are "true solar terms" calculated directly from the celestial longitude, and its accuracy is very high.

17. Did the lunar calendar originate from the Xia Dynasty?
The lunar calendar, also known as the lunar calendar, is a calendar that originated in the Xia Dynasty, so it is also called the Xia calendar, or the old calendar.The lunar calendar is based on the waxing and waning cycles of the moon.The cycle of moon phase change is a synodic month, and the lunar calendar defines a synodic month as a month, that is, a synodic month is a month.The date when the moon is completely dark is set as the first day of the month, that is, the first day of the lunar calendar; this day is the new moon.Since the cycle of the synodic month is equal to 26 days on average, some months have 5306 days and are called big months; some months have 30 days and are called small months.There are 29 months in a lunar year with a total of 12 or 354 days.

The lunar calendar should consider the two cycles of the synodic month and the tropical year at the same time, and coordinate the two cycles, thus creating a leap month.

19. Who proposed the year of Wanli
The perpetual calendar is an annual calendar that records specific solar and lunar dates within a certain time range, and is for the convenience of people in need. "Wannian" is just a symbol, indicating a large time span.

According to legend, there was a woodcutter named Wannian in the Western Zhou Dynasty who loved to observe and think very much. Apart from doing work, he was thinking about how to accurately determine the time.At the beginning, he designed a "sundial" based on the sun's movement and changes during the day. At first, the sundial was indeed convenient for timekeeping, but when it came to cloudy and rainy days, the sundial lost its function.After long-term observation and research, Wannian finally used the method of dripping water to successfully realize daily timing.

(End of this chapter)