Abstract
In early Chinese culture, the universe was conceived as an ethical unity. This cosmology was coherent to the organicist conception of the Shang era. Mankind was considered an integral part of the Universe, and its role was to maintain the harmony of the universe by following the rules of the nature. One of the basic rules was the succession of seasons, which was described by the calendar. Agriculture was the main activity, and the passing of the seasons governed its timings. The calendar was the tool in the hands of the emperor who received from the sky a mandate to rule the people. The acceptance of the calendar by all who submitted to emperor’s power continued unabated until the twentieth century.
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Notes
- 1.
See Appendix “Positional Astronomy”
- 2.
A maximum circle is the intersected of the sphere with a plane passing through its center. In this context, the circles correspond to meridians.
- 3.
Buddha had summoned all the animals but only twelve showed up. He therefore decided to name the years with these names according to the order in which they presented themselves: mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, pig.
- 4.
Needham (1956, pp. 252–259).
- 5.
Needham (1959, p. 263).
- 6.
Recall that Chinese astronomy adopted an equatorial reference system, in which the positions of celestial bodies are identified with right ascension (AR) and declination, with the only difference that they used the complement of declination, i.e., the distance to the north.
- 7.
Ibidem, p. 249 ff.
- 8.
Needham (1959, p. 265).
- 9.
Ibidem p. 413. The author observes a similarity between the subject matter they are discussing and the philosophical ideas of Titus Lucretius Carus.
- 10.
Ibidem p. 416.
- 11.
Ibidem p. 423 ff.
- 12.
The Halley’s Comet was essential to confirm Kepler’s theory of elliptical orbits and to consider the comets as part of the Solar System.
- 13.
Ibidem. p. 435.
- 14.
Ibidem. p. 398.
- 15.
Ibidem p. 400.
- 16.
pp. 257–314.
- 17.
This was the first text to be printed in the new press in Sagan and at the same time presented to Wallenstein as a New Year’s gift.
- 18.
Needham (1959, p. 449).
- 19.
Nature (1889–1890) Vol.41, Nov. 21, 1889. p. 6. https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.228314/2015.228314.Nature-1889-1890_djvu.txt. Accessed July 2022.
- 20.
Needham (1965, p. 16).
- 21.
See Sect. “The Cause of Celestial Motion: Isaac Newton”.
- 22.
Needham (1959, p. 287).
- 23.
Ibidem, pp. 292–293. The longitude was probably 107.15° east and the identified locations are different although relatively close.
- 24.
Let’s recall that de Maupertuis’s expedition to measure the Meridian dates back to 1739.
- 25.
Needham and de SollaPrice (1986, p. 77).
- 26.
Needham (1965, p. 447).
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Marini, D.L.R. (2023). Chinese Astronomy and Astronomical Machines. In: Imago Cosmi. Astronomers' Universe. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30944-1_14
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