Modern Reformation of So-ganui Invented during King Sejong Period and It's Altitude and Azimuth of the Sun Observations

세종시대 창제된 소간의(小簡儀)의 현대적 개조와 태양의 고도 및 방위각 관측

The purpose of this study was to explain how extraordinary the scientific technology or our ancestor was from the modern perspective by remodeling the most unique astronomical instrument, So-ganui (小簡儀), developed in the Sejong Period (世宗時代) after being examined with contemporary and the principles of the science and observational technology would be properly understood and measured directly. When measuring the altitude of the sun and azimuth using So-ganui, it was adjusted with the horizontal coordinate system and measured using Jipyeonghwan (地平環), Ipeunhwan (立運環) and Guyhyeong (窺衡). Based such measuring principles, the measurement accuracy proposed using So-ganui are as follows. The remodeled So-ganui produced approximately ${\pm}0.29$ degrees error on average at high altitude while in measuring the azimuth degrees, there was difference of ${\pm}0.35$ degrees. Since the theoretically, the measurement error for So-ganui was ${\pm}0.5$ degrees, the remodeled So-ganui could accurately measure at the high altitude compared to So-ganui from the Sejong period. In the study, So-ganui, which has disappeared, has been remodeled in modern perspective to be used as the educational material to accurately understand the principles of science and measurement technology from the Sejong period. The findings could contribute to raising the reputation in the astronomical observations from the documents from the Sejong period. Furthermore, this study has materialized the celestial and sky our ancestors have viewed with the observational principles of their times, on the computer screen via a webcam, bringing out interest in the traditional science for the students.