Overview of Astronomy in China - Essay Example

Ancient Chinese thought Heaven to be round. The Emperor lived at the highest level. At the center of this heaven is the North Start. Note that for them, the center is the most pivotal part. Ancient Chinese Cosmology had obvious influences from Taoist philosophy. It values balance, or the harmony of the yin and yang, good and evil. Dualism pervades their thinking, and this has contributed to the rise of two prominent personalities: the Emperor and the Imperial Astronomer. The latter is said to use astronomy to predict the future, while the former used the findings of the latter to make decisions. This structured, overlapping thinking permeates their society, and we cannot help but conclude that astronomy was also part of their life (“Ancient Chinese Cosmology”).
Constellation System
Ancient Chinese astronomers cataloged every star visible to their naked eye. After which they grouped them into constellations called “palaces” or “mansions.” (“Early History of Astronomy – Ancient China”).

The ancient Chinese had a systematic way of classifying a star. They assign a particular ordinal number of an asterism to a star. For example, “the 4th star of the name of ‘asterism.’” (“Chinese constellation”)
Systematic Records of Events

Scholars consider that ancient Chinese records of astronomical events are very significant for today. The findings have saved modern astronomers if they were to grope from no knowledge. Hence, rapid progress in observation was made possible (Wang, 2006).
For example, China had large records of meteor showers. One of those that compiled such records was Shen Kuo in his book Dream Stream Essays. He reportedly wrote: "When stars fall to the earth, they become stones." (Jessie, 2003).
Other significant records are as follows:
– Halley’s Comet where the earliest observation was in 613 BC by Zuo Zhuan
• Eclipses
• Sunspots (Cai, 2002)

Conclusion
China has created and maintained an old but successful tradition in science and technology. This has enabled China to position itself at the forefront of development. As far as Astronomy is concerned, China’s contribution to it receives under-appreciation from many people. I recommend that more research ought to be done to discover more from China, and perhaps incorporate these findings into the secondary school curricula. Read More