Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences

The Korean Space Science Society (한국우주과학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Korean Historical Records on Halley's Comet Revisited

  • Lee, Ki-Won (Institute of Liberal Education, Catholic University of Daegu) ;
  • Mihn, Byeong-Hee (Advanced Astronomy and Space Science Division, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute) ;
  • Ahn, Young Sook (Advanced Astronomy and Space Science Division, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute)
  • Received : 2014.07.29
  • Accepted : 2014.09.04
  • Published : 2014.09.15
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

In this paper, we report the analysis of Korean historical records on the periodic Halley's comet according to the period (i.e., the Three Kingdoms, Goryeo Dynasty, and Joseon Dynasty) using various sources such as the Samguksagi (The History of the Three Kingdoms), Goryeosa (The History of the Goryeo Dynasty), and Joseonwangjosillok (The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty). With regards to the apparition time of the comet for each return, we referred to the works of Kronk. For the Three Kingdoms period, we could not find any record relevant to Halley's comet from the Samguksagi. Furthermore, we examined the suggestion that the phenomenon of "two Suns" which appeared on April 1, 760 (in a luni-solar calendar), as recorded in the Samgukyusa (The Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms), indicates an instance of the the daytime appearance of Halley's comet. In contrast with the Three Kingdoms period, we found that all returns of Halley's comet are recorded during the Goryeo Dynasty, although others have questioned some accounts. We also found that the appearance of Halley's comet in 1145 is mentioned in a spirit-path stele made in 1178. For the Joseon Dynasty period, we found that all apparitions of the comet are recorded, as with the Goryeo Dynasty, except for the return of 1910, at which time the former dynasty had fallen. In conclusion, we think that this study will be helpful for understanding Korean historical accounts on Halley's comet.

Keywords

References

  1. Ahn SH, Choi Y, Kim S, Determination of preliminary orbital elements of the great comet C/1665 in Korean history, JASS 23, 55-70 (2006). https://doi.org/10.5140/JASS.2006.23.1.055
  2. Ahn SH, Park C, Yu KR, Identification of stars in Song-Gyong, Journal of the Korean History of Science Society 18, 3-57 (1996).
  3. Ahn YS, Han BS, Sim KJ, Song DJ, Arrangement of chronological tables on Choseon Dynasty (A.D. 1392-1910), JKAS 33, 177-183 (2000).
  4. Ahn YS, Han BS, Sim KJ, Song DJ, Conversion Table between the Luni-solar Calendar and the Gregorian Calendar in the Joseon Dynasty (Korean Studies Information Co. Ltd., Seoul, 2009a), 1-211.
  5. Ahn YS, Sim KJ, Song DJ, Han BS, Yang HJ, Conversion Table between the Luni-solar Calendar and the Gregorian Calendar in the Goryeo Dynasty (Korean Studies Information Co. Ltd., Seoul, 2009b), 1-196.
  6. Ahn YS, Lee YB, Lee YS, Han BS, Conversion Table between the Luni-solar Calendar and the Gregorian Calendar in the Three Kingdoms (Korean Studies Information Co. Ltd., Seoul, 2009c), 1-361.
  7. Bretagnon P, Francou G, Planetary theories in rectangular and spherical variables, A&A 202, 309-315 (1988).
  8. Cullen C, Astronomy and Mathematics in Ancient China: The zhou bi suan jing (Univ. Cambridge Press, Cambridge, 2007), 18.
  9. Halleio E, Astronomiae cometicae synopsis, autore Edmundo Halleio apud oxonienses. geometriae professore Saviliano, & Reg. Soc. S., Philosophical Transactions 24, 1882-1899 (1704). http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstl.1704.0064
  10. Han BS, Conversion Table between the Luni-solar Calendar and the Gregorian Calendar in Korea: Volume 1, A.D. 58 - 917 (Univ. Yeungnam Press, Gyeongsan, 2001a), 1-918.
  11. Han BS, Conversion Table between the Luni-solar Calendar and the Gregorian Calendar in Korea: Volume 2, 917 - 2050 (Univ. Yeungnam Press, Gyeongsan, 2001b), 1-2050.
  12. Hasegawa I, Orbits of ancient and medieval comets, PASJ 31, 257-270 (1979).
  13. Hasegawa I, Catalogue of ancient and naked-eye comets, VA 24, 59-102 (1980).
  14. Hasegawa I, A Story of Halley's Comet (Koseisha Koseikaku Co. Ltd., Tokyo, 1984), 1-242.
  15. Ho PY, Ancient and mediaeval observations of comets and novae in Chinese sources, VA 5, 127-225 (1962). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0083-6656(62)90007-7
  16. Jeon SW, Science and Technology in Korea: Traditional Instruments and Techniques (MIT Press, Massachusetts, 1974), 1-383.
  17. Kiang T, The past orbit of Halley's comet, MmRAS 76, 27-66 (1972).
  18. Kronk GW, Cometography: A Catalog of Comets: Volume 1, Ancient - 1799 (Univ. Cambridge Press, Cambridge, 1999), 1-563.
  19. Kronk GW, Cometography: A Catalog of Comets: Volume 2, 1800 - 1899. (Univ. Cambridge Press, Cambridge, 2003), 1-852.
  20. Kronk GW, Cometography: A Catalog of Comets: Volume 3, 1900 - 1932 (Univ. Cambridge Press, Cambridge, 2007), 1-666.
  21. Lee JK, Historical Monumental Inscriptions of the Great Monk: Volume 3, the Goryeo Dynasty (Gasanmundang, Seoul, 1996), 398-420.
  22. Lee KW, Analysis of Korean astronomical records with Chinese equatorial coordinates, AN 333, 648-659 (2012).
  23. Lee KW, Ahn YS, Yang HJ, Study on the system of night hours for decoding Korean astronomical records of 1625 - 1787, Advances in Space Research 48, 592-600 (2011). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2011.04.002
  24. Lee KW, Yang HJ, Park MG, Orbital elements of comet C/1490 Y1 and the Quadrantid shower, MNRAS 400, 1389-1393 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15535.x
  25. Marcus JN, Seargent DAJ, Dust forward scatter brightness enhancement in previous apparitions of Halley's comet, in the 20th ESLAB Symposium on the Exploration of Halley's Comet, vol. 3, eds. Battrick B, Rolfe EJ, Reinhard R (European Space Agency Press, Paris, 1986), 359-362.
  26. Meeus J, Astronomical Algorithms (Willmann-Bell, Inc., Virginia, 1998), 1-477.
  27. Morrison LV, Stephenson FR, Historical values of the Earth's clock error $\Delta{T}$ and the calculation of eclipses, JHA 35, 327-336 (2004).
  28. Nha IS, Seongbyeoncheukhudanja preserved in Yonsei university library, The Journal of Korean Studies 34, 207-247 (1982).
  29. Nha IS, Seongbyeoncheukhudanja of the Gwansanggam of the Joseon Dynasty, The Journal of Paekche Research Institute 17, 215-229 (1986).
  30. Nha IS, Hong Y, Ahn N, A study of the 1668 Deungrok, records of celestial phenomena from the Joseon Dynasty, JASS 29, 209-220 (2012). https://doi.org/10.5140/JASS.2012.29.2.209
  31. Pan N, The History of Chinese Star Observation (Xuelin Press, Shanghai, 2009), 1380-1780.
  32. Park SY, Chae JC, Analysis of Korean historical comet records, PKAS 22, 151-168 (2007).. https://doi.org/10.5303/PKAS.2007.22.4.151
  33. Park SY, Analysis of the Comet Records from the Korean History Books: Samguksagi, Goryeosa, and Joseonwangjosillok, Msc Thesis, Seoul National University (2005).
  34. Perryman MAC, Lindegren L, Kvalevsky J, Hoeg E, Bastian U, et al., The Hipparcos catalogue, A&A 323, L49-52 (1997).
  35. Rufus WC, Astronomy in Korea, Transactions of the Korea Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 26, 1-48 (1936).
  36. Seo YK, The Silla king Kyongdok and the another sun, The Studies of Korean Literature 19, 61-91 (2006).
  37. Sitarski G, Ziolkowski K, A new approach to investigations of the long-term motion of comet P/Halley, A&A 187, 896-898 (1988). http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-82971-0_152
  38. Stephenson FR, Yau KKC, Far Eastern observations of Halley's comet - 240 BC to AD 1368, JBIS 38, 195-216 (1985).
  39. Yang HJ, Ahn YS, Han BS, Sim KJ, Song DJ, Arrangement of chronological tables on Koryo Dynasty, PKAS 14, 129-137 (1999).
  40. Yeomans DK, Comets: A Chronological History of Observation, Science, Myth, and Folklore (Wiley, New York, 1991), 255-300.
  41. Yeomans DK, Kiang T, The long-term motion of comet Halley, MNRAS 197, 633-646 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/197.3.633