Origin of the Korean Screen Planisphere with both Old and New Star-charts

  • Published : 2014.04.10

Abstract

The origin of the Korean Screen Planisphere with both Traditional and New Star-Charts, made by Korean Astronomers in the Royal Astronomical Bureau of the Joseon Dynasty by adopting the knowledge of the European astronomy, is investigated by analyzing its inscriptions and star charts. The considerations on both the changes in notations or representations of names of asterisms and the naming taboos used in the Old-style planisphere imply that the star-chart is originated from either the Sukjong-Stele-Replica of Cheonsang-Yeolcha-Punyajido(天象列次分野之圖). The New style planisphere is just the reproduction of Huangdao-congxingtu (黃道總星圖), with the exception of the non-Chinese-traditional stars. The Huangdao-congxingtu was made in 1723 CE by Ignatius K$\ddot{o}$gler who was a Jesuit missionary and worked for the Bureau of Astronomy (欽天監) in the Qing Dyansty. I find that the star chart was imported in 1742 CE from the Qing by An Gukrin (安國麟) who was an astronomer in the Royal Astronomical Bureau of Joseon. The chart became model for the screen star-chart made in 1743 CE and now housed in Bopju temple. I found that the inscriptions are extracted from the sentences in both Xinzhi Lingtai Yixiangzhi (新製靈臺儀象志) and Qinding Yixiangkaocheng (欽定儀象考成). Korean historical records in either Daily Records of the Royal Secretariat of the Joseon Dynasty (承政院日記) or Annals of the Joseonn Dynasty (朝鮮王朝實錄) show that Xinzhi Lingtai-Yixiangzhi was imported from the Qing Dynasty in 1708 CE, and the Qinding Yixiangkaocheng was imported in 1766 CE. Thus, the Korean Screen Planisphere with both Old and New Star-charts was certainly made after 1766 CE.

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