scholarly journals Ancient Chinese Astronomical Observations Related to the Stellar Background on the Sky

1990 ◽  
Vol 141 ◽  
pp. 195-196
Author(s):  
Wu Shouxian ◽  
Liu Ciyuan
Keyword(s):  
Special Interest ◽  
Reference System ◽  
Astronomical Observations ◽  
Celestial Bodies ◽  
Full Swing ◽  
Stellar Background

Ancient Chinese astronomers had special interest to measure positions of celestial bodies. “Shishi Xingjing” including at least 115 stars was produced in the 4th century BC. By the 11th century, the measure of stellar coordinates was in full swing and 5 detailed measures were carried on in only 100 years. So several ancient stellar catalogs have been retained up to now. As an ancient reference system, many astronomical phenomena have been recorded on it. This is meaningful for modern astronomers to do some modern research.

scholarly journals XXIV. Astronomical observations and experiments tending to investigate the local arrangement of the celestial bodies in space, and to determine the extent and condition of the Milky Way

1817 ◽  
Vol 107 ◽  
pp. 302-331 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Milky Way ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Heavenly Body ◽  
Astronomical Observations ◽  
Clear Night ◽  
Real Place ◽  
Celestial Object ◽  
Local Arrangement ◽  
Celestial Bodies

The construction of the heavens, in which the real place of every celestial object in space is to be determined, can only be delineated with precision, when we have the situation of each heavenly body assigned in three dimensions, which in the case of the visible universe may be called length, breadth, and depth; or longitude, latitude, and Profundity. The angular positions of the stars and other celestial objects, as they are given in astronomical catalogues, and represented upon globes, or laid down in maps, enable us, in a clear night, to find them by the eye or to view them in a telescope; for, in order to direct an instrument to them, a superficial place consisting of only two dimensions is sufficient; but although the line in which they are to be seen is thus pointed out to us, their distance from the eye in that line remains unknown; and unless a proper method for obtaining the profundity of objects can be found, their longitude and latitude will not enable us to assign their local arrangement in space.

scholarly journals Archaeoastronomical Aspects of the Archaeological Monuments of Siberia

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (1 and 2) ◽  
pp. 109-117
Author(s):  
Leonid Marsadolov
Keyword(s):  
The Sun ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Astronomical Observations ◽  
The North ◽  
Ancient People ◽  
Celestial Bodies ◽  
Night Sky

The necessity of astronomical observations for nomadic peoples of Eurasia was based on the sacral meaning of time. The celestial bodies, the Sun and the Moon were parts of cult of the Sky. During annual migrations, in particular those where there were no reliable landmarks, nomads navigated with the North Star and the main constellations of the night sky. Remains left by these nomads, including rock pictures, barrows and observation posts are the legacy of a complex, organised system reflecting the relations of ancient people with the cosmos.

scholarly journals XVI. Astronomical observations relating to the construction of the heavens, arranged for the purpose of a critical examination, the result of which appears to throw some new light upon the organization of the celestial bodies

1811 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
pp. 269-336 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Examination ◽  
Gradual Change ◽  
Astronomical Observations ◽  
The Public ◽  
Celestial Bodies ◽  
The Subject

Aknowledge of the construction of the heavens has always been the ultimate object of my observations, and having been many years engaged in applying my forty, twenty, and large ten feet telescopes, on account of their great space-penetrating power to review the most interesting objects discovered in my sweeps, as well as those which had before been communicated to the public in the Connoissance des Temps , for 1784, I find that by arranging these objects in a certain successive regular order, they may be viewed in a new light, and, if I am not mistaken, an examination of them will lead to consequences which cannot be indifferent to an inquiring mind. If it should be remarked that in this new arrangement I am not entirely consistent with what I have already in former papers said on the nature of some objects that have come under my observation, I must freely confess that by continuing my sweeps of the heavens my opinion of the arrangement of the stars and their magnitudes, and of some other particulars, has undergone a gradual change; and indeed when the novelty of the subject is considered, we cannot be surprised that many things formerly taken for granted, should on examination prove to be different from what they were generally, but incautiously, supposed to be.

scholarly journals Astronomical observations relating to the construction of the heavens, arranged for the purpose of a critical examination, the result of which appears to throw some new light upon the organization of the celestial bodies

1832 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 406-408
Keyword(s):  
Small Proportion ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Gradual Change ◽  
Astronomical Observations ◽  
Infinite Space ◽  
Higher Power ◽  
Luminous Matter ◽  
Celestial Bodies ◽  
Regular Succession

Dr. Herschel, having repeatedly re-examined many of the nebulous appearances which he has formerly described, finds that these objects may be arranged in a certain order of regular succession, so as to be viewed in a new light; and in consequence of these views, his opinions respecting the inferences to be drawn from the phenomena have undergone a gradual change, especially with regard to the possibility of resolving many of them into stars, as he had formerly supposed might be done by telescopes of higher power than he had yet employed. His present arrangement begins with the appearances of diffused nebulosity. Of these he has determined the positions and magnitudes of 52 in number, the aggregate extent of which amounts to 150 square degrees; and since the depth of each may be supposed nearly equal to the length or breadth, the total amount of luminous matter contained in the small proportion of infinite space which we see, exclusive of that which is too dilute to be visible, exceeds all calculation.

scholarly journals Astronomical observations and experiments tending to investigate the local arrangement of the celestial bodies in space, and to determine the extent and condition of the milky way

1833 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 76-77
Keyword(s):  
Milky Way ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Heavenly Body ◽  
Astronomical Observations ◽  
Real Place ◽  
Celestial Object ◽  
Local Arrangement ◽  
Relative Arrangement ◽  
Celestial Bodies ◽  
William Herschel

The construction of the heavens, in which the real place of every celestial object in space is to be determined, can only be delineated with precision when we have the situation of each heavenly body assigned in three dimensions, which, says the author, in the case of the visible universe, may be called longitude, latitude, and profundity. The angular positions of the stars given in astronomical catalogues, and on globes and maps, may enable us to find them by the eye or telescope; but their distance remains unknown; and unless a proper method for obtaining the profundity of objects can be found, their longitude and latitude will not enable us to assign their local arrangement in space. The method of parallaxes has succeeded with regard to objects comparatively near. The parallax of the fixed stars has also been an object of attention; and although the investigation has hitherto produced nothing satisfactory, it has given us a magnificent idea of the vast extent of the sidereal heavens, by showing that probably the whole diameter of the earth’s orbit, at the distance of a star of the first magnitude, does not subtend an angle of more than a single second of a degree. To stars of a smaller size the parallactic method admits of no application. Sir William Herschel proceeds to consider the local situations of the stars, and proposes a standard by which their relative arrangement may be examined; that is, by comparing their distribution to a certain properly modified equality of scattering, in which it is not required either that the stars should be equidistant from each other, or that those of the same nominal magnitude should be equally distant from us. A certain equal portion of space is allotted to every star, so that we may thus calculate how many stars any given extent of space should contain. This arrangement is further explained by reference to an annexed diagram.

scholarly journals XXIII. Astronomical observations and experiments, selected for the purpose of ascertaining the relative distances of clusters of stars, and of investigating how far the power of our telescopes may be expected to reach into space, when directed to ambiguous celestial objects

1818 ◽  
Vol 108 ◽  
pp. 429-470 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Milky Way ◽  
Astronomical Observations ◽  
Local Arrangement ◽  
Celestial Bodies

In my last paper on the local arrangement of the celestial bodies in space, I have shown how, by an equalization of the light of stars of different brightness, we may ascertain their relative distances from the observer, in the direction of the line in which they are seen; and from this equalization, a method of turning the space penetrating power of a telescope into a gradually increasing series of gaging powers has been deduced, by which means the profundity in space, of every object consisting of stars, can be ascertained, as far as the light of the instrument which is used upon this occasion will reach. This method has already been applied to fathom the milky way, and may with equal propriety be used to ascertain the profundity of globular and other clusters of stars in space; I shall therefore make use of some of the numerous observations, contained in my journals and sweeps of the heavens, to show how the distances of these objects may be obtained; and shall also attempt to represent their situation in space by a figure, in which their distances are made pro­portional to the diameter of a globular space, sufficiently large to contain all the stars that in the clearest nights are visible to the eye of an observer.

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