• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.121-128
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• 2004

We have constructed a database of Korean historical astronomical records. The database contains observational data recorded from BC 2183 to AD 1910. We have also built a webpage for searching through the database based on the following criteria: (1) dynasties (2) astronomical phenomena (3) reigning kings (4) references (5) keywords. Users may select two or more dynasties to search through the database for a certain phenomena, and compare data with those of other dynasties. The queried data can be primarily sorted by one critetion, and secondarily sorted by another, each in ascending or descending order. The search results give dates both in Solar and Lunisolar calendars, years and dates in Sexagenary cycle, dynasties, reigning kings, astronomical phenomena, and references. The database and webpage were constructed under the research project of the Korean Astronomical Data Center (KADC, http://kadc.kao.re.kr) in Korea Astronomy Observatory (KAO).

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.411-418
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• 2012

We study the correlation between distributions of astronomical records and historical events using historical meteor (shower) records. In Korean chronicles, planets and meteor (shower) records are the most abundant astronomical phenomena. And they represent a general tendency of the number distribution of whole astronomical observations. We examine the correlation for the number distribution between meteors (showers) and planets during A.D. 1200-1700 and find that both records have a similar distribution. We classify historical events into three grades according to the social impact, and investigate the correlation between distributions of meteor (shower) records with social events, such as, new king's accession to the throne, foreign invasions, and domestic turmoils. From the statistical analysis, we cannot find any correlation between the meteor (shower) records and the political events. Therefore, we conclude that Korean historical records have not been influenced by the political events. We also examine the correlation between Chinese and Japanese meteor (shower) records and political events for A.D. 1200-1700, respectively, but cannot find any correlations between them.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.151-168
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• 2007

We have analyzed the comet records in the Korean history books: Samguksagi, Goryeosa, and Joseonwangjosillok. For a comparison, the Chinese and Japanese comet records collected by Kronk (1999) have also been analyzed. Power spectrum of the time series of the comet records is used to find periodic comets. Statistically significant periodicities in the power spectrum are detected at the periods of 38-40 years, about 76 years, and 300-400 years for all Korean, Chinese, and Japanese comet records. We have also calculated the past orbits of some comets that have been recently observed, to check whether or not they were recorded in the history books. We use a multistep method to numerically integrate the comet's orbital motion backward in time to 51 B.C. The gravitational force due to the Sun and the nine planets, non-gravitational force, and the relativistic effects have been considered. Comparison of comet's perihelion passage time and the position on the sky with the historical records shows that the comet Halley were recorded at every passage in both Goryeo and Joseon periods. The orbital motion of the comet Pons-Brooks has also been compared with the Korean records. For the comet Tempel-Tuttle, Swift-Tuttle, and Ikeya-Zhang, we have compared our calculation of the orbital motions with those of the previous studies.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.53-70
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• 2016

There has been many researchs about "朱子家禮" providing the basic mannerism in Josun Dynasty era and influencing rituals to communicate ancestors. However, the arrangement of ritual has not been researched and understood as formality. In this study, the Yin, Yang and the five element theory was researched in the perspective of understanding in the universe order and ancient astronomy that provided the academic basic and idea in the era to understand the arrangement of the ritual, and based on this, the arrangement in "朱子家禮" was analysed. As a result, it was confirmed that the arrangement in ritual was made by the structure of symbol of Yin, Yang and five elements, which is the logic of order in universe people understood at that time. Through this, by understanding the meaning of the arrangement in ritual, the ritual culture would be properly understood and passed to next generation despite of changes in culture.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.31.3-31.3
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• 2009

견우와 직녀의 사랑 이야기가 얽혀 있는 두 별은 여름철을 대표하는 별들로서 중국 문화권에서는 지난 수 천 년 동안 매우 인기가 높은 별이었다. 두 별은 중국의 춘추전국시대의 노래를 모아 놓은 시경(詩經)에 이미 등장하고 있고, 서기 408년에 조성된 고구려의 덕흥리 고분 속에 있는 벽화에도 그려져 있다. 고려시대에는 이 별들에 대한 국가적인 제사를 지냈으며, 조선 시대에는 칠월칠석에 국왕이 신하들과 어울려 잔치를 베풀고 칠석시(七夕詩)를 지어서 책으로 편찬하는 일도 있었다. 한편 견우성은 주로 농사와 관계된 별점을 가지고 있었고, 시각제도와 긴밀한 관계가 있는 28宿(수)의 하나였으므로 천문학자들이 지속적으로 관심을 갖고 관측한 별이다. 그러한 관측의 결과는 고려사, 조선왕조실록, 승정원일기 등에 다수가 남아 있다. 그런데 동양 천문학에서 이미 널리 다루어졌던 문제 가운데 하나는, 바로 이 문학적 견우성과 천문학적 견우성이 일치하지 않는다는 것이다. 지금 일반 시민들에게 견우성은 독수리자리의 알테어(Altair)로 알려져 있다. 그러나 모든 사서와 고대 천문서 및 천문도가 지칭하는 견우성은 염소자리의 다비(Dabih)라는 별이다. 견우성이 28宿(수)의 하나라는 사실은 그 별(별자리)이 황도와 백도 근처에 있어야 함을 의미한다. 따라서 알테어는 적위가 높아서 도저히 28宿(수)에 속할 수가 없다. 게다가 알테어는 은하수 속에 들어가 있으므로, 견우와 직녀가 은하수를 사이에 두고 마주보고 있다는 일반적인 설화와도 어긋난다. 그럼에도 불구하고, 현재 대다수의 서적과 매체, 그리고 일반인을 대상으로 한 행사와 천문관에서 상영되는 프로그램들에는 모두 알테어를 견우성으로 하여 설명하고 있다. 이러한 불일치는 상당한 혼란을 초래하고 있는 상황이다. 이 연구에서는 이러한 불일치가 천문학적인 견우성과 인문학적인 견우성의 불일치로 보고, 이 문제를 실증적으로 접근해 본다. 즉, 고려사, 조선왕조실록, 승정원일기에 실려 있는 견우성 엄폐 관측 기록을 조사하여 한국사에서 전문 천문학자들은 어느 별을 견우성이라고 보아왔는지 알아보고, 또한 일반인들이 지은 시문에는 어떤 별을 견우성으로 여겼는지 고찰한다. 아울러 역사적으로 이 문제에 대한 선인들의 생각을 짚어보고, 중국과 일본의 학자들은 이 문제를 어떻게 바라보고 있는지를 살핀 다음, 마지막으로 현실적으로 이 문제를 어떻게 해결할 수 있는지 고찰해 본다.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.43-57
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• 2020

Hong, Dae-Yong manufactured the Tongcheon-ui (Pan-celestial Armillary Sphere) with cooperating clock researcher Na, Kyeong-Jeok, and its craftsman An, Cheo-In, in Naju of Jeolla Province in 1760 ~ 1762. Tongcheon-ui is a kind of astronomical clock with an armillary sphere which is rotated by the force generated by a lantern clock's weight. In our study, we examine the lantern clock model of Tongcheon-ui through its description of the articles written by Hong himself. As his description, however, did not explain the detail of the mechanical process of the lantern clock, we investigate the remains of lantern clocks in the possession of Korea University Museum and Seoul National University Museum. Comparing with the clocks of these museums, we designed the lantern clock model of Tongcheon-ui which measures 115 mm (L) × 115 mm (W) × 307 mm (H). This model has used the structure of the striking train imitated from the Korea University Museum artifact and is also regulated by a foliot escapement which is connected to a going train for timekeeping. The orientation of the rotation of the going train and the striking train of our model makes a difference with the remains of both university museums. That is, on the rotation axis of the first gear set of Tongcheon-ui's lantern clock, the going and the striking trains take on a counterclockwise and clockwise direction, respectively. The weight of 6.4 kg makes a force driving these two trains to stick to the pulley on the twine pulling across two spike gears corresponding to the going train and the striking train. This weight below the pulley may travel down about 560 mm per day. We conclude that the mechanical system of Tongcheon-ui's lantern clock is slightly different from the Japanese style.

• (The)Study of the Eastern Classic
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• no.72
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• pp.365-400
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• 2018

The signs of $G{\bar{a}}nzh{\bar{i}}$(干支: the sexagesimal calendar system) almanac, which marked each year, month, day and time with 60 ordinal number marks made by combining 10 $Ti{\bar{a}}ng{\bar{a}}ns$(天干: the decimal notation to mark date) and 12 $D{\grave{i}}zh{\bar{i}}s$(地支 : the duodecimal notation to mark date), were used not only as the sign of the factors affecting the occurrence of a disease and treatment in the area of traditional oriental medicine, but also as the indicator of prejudging fortunes in different areas of future prediction techniques.(for instance, astrology, the theory of divination based on topography, four pillars of destiny and etc.) While theories of many future predictive technologies with this $G{\bar{a}}nzh{\bar{i}}$(干支) almanac signs as the standard had been established in many ways by Han dynasty, it is difficult to find almanac discussion later on the fundamental theory of 'how it works like that'. As for the method to mark the era of $Ti{\bar{a}}nt{\check{i}}l{\grave{i}}$(天體曆: a calendar made with the sidereal period of Jupiter and the Sun), which determines the name of a year depending on where $Su{\grave{i}}x{\bar{i}}ng$(歲星: Jupiter) is among the '12 positions of zodiac', there are three main ways of $$Su{\grave{i}}x{\bar{i}}ng-J{\grave{i}}ni{\acute{a}}nf{\check{a}}$$(歲星紀年法: the way to mark an era by the location of Jupiter on the celestial sphere), $$T{\grave{a}}isu{\grave{i}}-J{\grave{i}}ni{\acute{a}}nf{\check{a}}$$ (太歲紀年法: the way to mark an era by the location facing the location of Jupiter on the celestial sphere) and $$G{\bar{a}}nzh{\bar{i}}-J{\grave{i}}ni{\acute{a}}nf{\check{a}}$$(干支紀年法: the way to mark an era with Ganzhi marks). Regarding $$G{\bar{a}}nzh{\bar{i}}-J{\grave{i}}ni{\acute{a}}nf{\check{a}}$$(干支紀年法), which is actually the same way to mark an era as $$T{\grave{a}}isu{\grave{i}}-J{\grave{i}}ni{\acute{a}}nf{\check{a}}$$(太歲紀年法) with the only difference in the name, there are more than three ways, and one of them has continued to be used in China, Korea and so on since Han dynasty. The name of year of $G{\bar{a}}nzh{\bar{i}}$(干支) this year, 2018, has become $W{\grave{u}}-X{\bar{u}}$(戊戌) just by 'accident'. Therefore, in this discussion, the need to realize this situation was emphasized in different areas of traditional techniques of future prediction in which distinct theories have been established with the $G{\bar{a}}nzh{\bar{i}}$(干支) mark of year, month, day and time. Because of the 1 sidereal period of Jupiter, which is a little bit shorter than 12 years, once about one thousand years, 'the location of Jupiter on the zodiac' and 'the name of a year of 12 $D{\grave{i}}zh{\bar{i}}s$(地支) marks' accord with each other just for about 85 years, and it has been verified that recent dozens of years are the very period. In addition, appropriate methods of observing the the twenty-eight lunar mansions were elucidated. As $G{\bar{a}}nzh{\bar{i}}$(干支) almanac is related to the theoretical foundation of traditional medical practice as well as various techniques of future prediction, in-depth study on the fundamental theory of ancient $Ti{\bar{a}}nt{\check{i}}l{\grave{i}}$(天體曆) cannot be neglected for the succession and development of traditional oriental study and culture, too.