中国科学院机构知识库网格
Chinese Academy of Sciences Institutional Repositories Grid
Gnomon shadow lengths recorded in the Zhoubi Suanjing: the earliest meridian observations in China?

文献类型:期刊论文

作者Li, Yong1; Sun, Xiao-Chun1,2
刊名RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
出版日期2009-12-01
卷号9期号:12页码:1377-1386
关键词history and philosophy of astronomy solar meridian observation accuracy solar-terrestrial relations methods: statistical
英文摘要The Zhoubi Suanjing, one of the most important ancient Chinese books on mathematical astronomy, was compiled about 100 BC in the Western Han dynasty (BC 206 - AD 23). We study the gnomon shadow lengths for the 24 solar terms as recorded in the book. Special attention is paid to the so-called law of 'cun qian li', which says the shadow length of a gnomon of 8 chi (about 1.96 m) high will increase (or decrease) 1 can (1/10chi) for every 1000 li (roughly 400km) the gnomon moves northward (or southward). From these data, one can derive the time and location of the observations. The results, however, do not fit historical facts. We suggest that compilers of the Zhoubi Suanjing must have modified the original data according to the law of 'cun qian li'. Through reversing the situation, we recovered the original data, our analysis of which reveals the best possible observation time as 564 BC and the location of observation as 35.78 degrees N latitude. We conclude that this must be the earliest records of solar meridian observations in China. In the meantime, we give the errors of solar altitudes for the 24 solar terms. The average deviation is 5.22 degrees, and the mean absolute deviation is 5.52 degrees, signifying the accuracy of astronomical calculations from that time.
收录类别SCI
语种英语
WOS记录号WOS:000272967100010
源URL[http://ir.bao.ac.cn/handle/114a11/8126]  
专题国家天文台_应用天文研究部
作者单位1.Chinese Acad Sci, Natl Astron Observ, Beijing 100012, Peoples R China
2.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Hist Nat Sci, Beijing 100010, Peoples R China
推荐引用方式
GB/T 7714
Li, Yong,Sun, Xiao-Chun. Gnomon shadow lengths recorded in the Zhoubi Suanjing: the earliest meridian observations in China?[J]. RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS,2009,9(12):1377-1386.
APA Li, Yong,&Sun, Xiao-Chun.(2009).Gnomon shadow lengths recorded in the Zhoubi Suanjing: the earliest meridian observations in China?.RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS,9(12),1377-1386.
MLA Li, Yong,et al."Gnomon shadow lengths recorded in the Zhoubi Suanjing: the earliest meridian observations in China?".RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS 9.12(2009):1377-1386.

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来源:国家天文台

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