Heavenly Wonder Of Ancient China Goes On Show (1,300 Year-Old Star-Chart)

Ananova ^ | 5-3-2004

[blam]

"Heavenly wonder of ancient China goes on show

A Chinese star chart possibly dating from the 7th century AD mapped the heavens with an accuracy unsurpassed until the Renaissance, according to research.

The Dunhuang chart, which goes on show at the British Library this month, is the oldest manuscript star map in the world and one of the most valuable treasures in astronomy.

The fine paper scroll, measuring 210 by 25 centimetres, (82 by 10 inches) displays no less than 1,345 stars grouped in 257 non-constellation patterns.

Such detail was not matched until Galileo and other European astronomers began searching the skies hundreds of years later - and they had the advantage of telescopes.

The chart includes very faint stars that are extremely difficult to find with the naked eye. It also represents the sky as a sphere projected on a cylinder, a modern technique first adopted in Europe in the 15th century.

The first part of the document consists of a collection of predictions based on shapes of clouds - evidence of the important role divination played in ancient China.

Dr Francoise Praderie, from the Paris Observatory, who studied the map with fellow French astronomer Dr Jean-Marc Bonnet-Bidaud, said: "The origin of the star chart's manufacture and real use remains unknown. One can conjecture that it was used for military and travellers' needs and probably also for uranomancy - divination by consulting the heavens - as suggested by the cloud divination texts preceding the charts.

"The long tradition in China of searching the sky for celestial omens has therefore led to an early and unsurpassed precision in star catalogues."

The research was conducted on behalf of the British Library, which is displaying the chart alongside a modern sky map to illustrate the accuracy of early Chinese astronomy.

It will form part of an exhibition "The Silk Road: Trade, Travel, War and Faith" to be staged at the library from May 7.

[blam]

The Article was originally published by the Independent but, we cannot post articles from them.

The Sky At Night...As Seen By Chinese 1,300 Years Ago

[blam]

Dunhuang is the location of The Jade Gate. Jim, who do you think were the people in this location in 700AD?

[blam]

This is in the general area where the Red-Headed Mummies were found.

The Curse Of The Red-Headed Mummy

[tallhappy]

How was it dated?

[blam]

"How was it dated?"

Don't know.

'Oldest Star Chart' Found (32,500 Years Old)

[steveo]

Hey, I thought I named that star!?!?!

[blam]

Bronze Age Star Chart

[tiamat]

VERY cool!

Thank you for sharing it!

[John Locke]

It also represents the sky as a sphere projected on a cylinder, a modern technique first adopted in Europe in the 15th century.

No, a technique invented by Archimedes in 250 BC.

And if the picture is an accurate representation of this Chinese star chart, it is a lot more crude than the one made by Hipparkhos of Nicaea in about 150 BC.

The first modern star chart, by the way, had nothing to do with Galileo. It was compiled by Tycho de Brahe in the late 16th century, and no, he did not have a telescope.

[JimSEA]

The find seems ver consistent with both the Chinese and Indo-Iranian (and others) traditions and archaeology. The excellence of the map makes one think of high country observations don't they (faint stars)? I can't find anything on it but I seem to remember early observatories in the Hindu Kush? Does that ring a bell?????

[Zuben Elgenubi]

I agree.

[blam]

"Does that ring a bell?????"

My memory is shot. I guess the Iranians had made it into that area by that time.

[farmfriend]

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[Fedora]

The find seems ver consistent with both the Chinese and Indo-Iranian (and others) traditions and archaeology. The excellence of the map makes one think of high country observations don't they (faint stars)? I can't find anything on it but I seem to remember early observatories in the Hindu Kush? Does that ring a bell?????

It made me wonder if they were collecting any astronomical information from observatories in the Himalayas.

[Fedora]

It seems like Brahe never gets credit for some reason :) BTW on Archimedes, an interesting point there is that the Hellenist astronomers were drawing from a long tradition of observations stretching back to the Egyptians and Babylonians as well. Ancients like Aristarchus had surprisingly advanced astronomical knowledge.

[JimSEA]

Same here.

[RightWhale]

The chart does not look super-accurate. They had astrolabes and could have make an accurate chart.

[SunkenCiv]

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