• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.201-212
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• 2023

The inscription of Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido (天象列次分野之圖) has the sun's locations at the equinoxes, which must have been copied from the astronomical treatises in Chinese historical annals, Songshu (宋書) and Jinshu (晉書). According to the treatises, an astronomer Wang Fan (王蕃, 228-266 CE) referred those values from a calendrical system called Qianxiangli (乾象曆, 223 CE), from which it is confirmed that it adopted the sun's location at the winter solstice of the $(21{\frac{1}{4}})^{th}$ du of the 8th lunar lodge Dou (斗) as the reference direction for equatorial lodge angles. This indicates that the sun's locations at equinoxes and solstices in the calendrical system are the same as those in Jingchuli (景初曆, 237 CE). Hence, we propose that the sun's location at the autumnal equinox in Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido should be corrected from 'wu du shao ruo' (五度少弱), meaning the $(5{\frac{1}{6}})^{th}$ du, to 'wu du ruo' (五度弱), meaning the $(4{\frac{11}{12}})^{th}$ du, of the first lunar lodge Jiao (角), as seen in Jingchuli. We reconstruct the polar coordinate system used in circular star charts, assuming that the mean motion rule was applied and its reference direction was the sun's location at the winter solstice. Considering the precession, we determined the observational epoch of the sun's location at the winter solstice to be t_o = -18.3 ± 43.0 adopting the observational error of the so-called archaic determinatives (古度). It is noteworthy that the sun's locations at equinoxes inscribed in Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido originated from Houhan Sifenli (後漢 四分曆) of the Latter Han dynasty (85 CE), while the coordinate origin in the star chart is related to Taichuli (太初曆) of the Former Han dynasty (104 BCE).

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.47.4-48
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• 2017

In the middle of $19^{th}$ century, the Seong Gyeong 星鏡, which is a Korean historical astronomy book, was published by Nam Byeong-Gil(1820-1869). In this study, identification was conducted by considering the star catalogue recorded in the Yixiang Kaocheng Xubian 儀象考成續編. The Seong Gyeong 星鏡 recorded the information of 1,449 stars, and identified 1,413 stars among 1,449 stars, which is a rate of 97.5%. The positional error (angular distance) of the identified stars is $5.33{\pm}0.34$ arc-min. It was also confirmed that the magnitudes of the recorded stars have correlations with those of modern times. It was determined that the position error of the stars became larger as the magnitude of the stars became dimmer, or as the position of the stars came closer to the pole. Based on these analyses, the Seong Gyeong 星鏡 was confirmed that it is a result of correcting the precession of the selected stars from star catalogue of Yixiang Kaocheng Xubian 儀象考成續編.

• Asian review of World Histories
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.85-116
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• 2013

The theory of terrestrial impact which has been developed by the astronomy scientists since 1970s is employed for this article in a new angle that atmospheric conditions of our planet should be adopted in the interpretation of the history of mankind. Large and small terrestrial impacts must be acknowledged as key tasks in terms of the study of 'world history'. The Society of Interdisciplinary Studies has already advocated that the 'Bronze Age Civilization' was strongly influenced by the long term terrestrial impact phenomena. Based on historical materials from Korea, the present study was able to identify the years 680-880, 1100-1220, 1340-1420, and 1490-1760 as periods in which territorial impacts occurred.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.49.1-49.1
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• 2018

The Xinfa Suanshu, which was an important astronomical book in East-Asia, was published in 1644. This book was including the star catalogue. We researched the data of 1365 stars recorded in this star catalogue (the equinox of the catalogue is identified to be 1628 year). According to our analysis, it can be presumed that the star catalogue's data were observed from at least two places or more. Based on historical background, we assumed that the Xinfa Sunashu's catalogue likely referenced knowledge from the Europe or Arab/Islamic culture. The researchers who have studied the Xinfa Sunashu's star catalogue have all focused on Brahe's star catalogue. But they did not provide clear evidence. Therefore, we are compared with the star data recorded in Tablae Rudolphinae. In conclusion, we confirmed that 881 stars among the 1365 stars were perfectly edited from position data of stars recorded in Brahe's star catalogue (1602).

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2022

During the course of analysing both single-dish and very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) data obtained from the Korean VLBI Network (KVN), we found a systematic offset between flux density measurements from different antennas. We were able to attribute a majority of the systematic offsets to changes in the "a priori" antenna gains, which were found to have varied up to 10 percent at 22 GHz and up to 30 percent at 43 GHz. Using historical calibrator observations, we present a revised set of gains that may be applied to KVN data taken from 2015 August to 2019 January. Application of the revised gains to the KVN results in a consistency of correlated flux density measurements between the three baselines of approximately five percent. We found that images from the recalibrated data typically have a 50 percent higher dynamic range, with some cases showing an increase of dynamic range of up to a factor of three.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.61.2-61.2
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• 2019

The 『Hun-Gai-Tong-Xian-Tushuo 渾蓋通憲圖說』, which was an important astronomical book in East-Asia, was published by Li Zhi-zao (李之藻, 1565-1631) in 1607. This book was including the data of stars. We analyzed the data of stars recorded in 『Hun-Gai-Tong-Xian-Tushuo 渾蓋通憲圖說』. Based on historical background, we assumed that the data of stars recorded in 『Hun-Gai-Tong-Xian-Tushuo 渾蓋通憲圖說』 likely referenced knowledge from the ancient Arab/Islam culture. In conclusion, we assume a correlation with the star catalogue included in 『Almagest』 by Ptolemaios. Therefore, we think that this star's data will become important data for comparison with the star catalogues published in Arabic/Islam.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.505-528
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• 2004

We have reproduced the records of lunar occultation recorded in the History of Three Kingdoms(삼국사기), the History of the Koryo Dynasty (고려사), the Annals of the Choson Dynasty (朝鮮王朝實錄), the Daily Records of Royal Secretariat of the Choson Dynasty (승정원일기), and obtained the epochs of their realizations. We analysed these results to understand how the system of hours had been kept and when a day began. During most of the periods encompassed by these annals, the 12 double hours(12진각법) and the system of 100 divisions of the day (백각법) had been used when the lunar and the solar eclipses were calculated by royal astronomers. In these systems, the starting point of a day is midnight. On the other hand, the five watch system of hours (경점법), in which a night is divided into five watches, was also used. In this system, a day begins at the sunrise. We found that the traditional twilight, called dusk and dawn (혼명) and used in the east Asian countries, largely corresponds to the nautical twilight in modern concepts. This fact means that the Korean expressions and words for time system in every day life had originated form the five watch system of hours. We pointed out that the sunrise and sunset were convenient boundary lines to ancient astronomers, as well as to farmers in the agricultural society. Our results can be used to determine the exact epoch of each astronomical record in chronicles.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.529-552
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• 2004

We made a robust catalogue of reliable records of meteor showers and storms recorded in Korean, Japanese, and Chinese chronicles. In our new catalogue, there are 35 Korean records, 29 Japanese records, and 93 Chinese records. The temporal frequency distribution of records shows two broad peaks around the 10th and the 16th centuries. We observed that the peak in the 10th century is mainly contributed by the Perseids, while the peak in the 16th century was mainly contributed by the Leonids. We found that the ${\eta}-Aquarids$, the Perseids, the Orionids, and the Leonids have been active during the last two millennia. The oldest record of the ${\eta}-Aquarids$ is that of BC 687 in China, and the oldest record of the Perseids is that of 36 AD. Contrary to previous investigations, there has been no nodal shift of the ${\eta}-Aquarids$ and the Orionids, whose mother comet is the Halley's comet. The oldest record of the Leonids is probably that of 288 AD, instead of 902 AD. We also find some evidence on the existence of a possible shower a-Draconids. We note that our catalogue will be useful to investigate meteor showers.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.355-374
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• 2009

We analysed the old automatic clock and time signal system that was used by the national astronomical agency in East Asian Area. Jagyeongnu is a kind of water clock that was operated by the flowing water in Joseon Dynasty. Seowoongwan managed the water clock so as to keep the standard time system in the dynasty from the 16th year (1434) of King Sejong's reign. In 1438 the Okru that was invented in the period. Such kind of clock system already was used in China, which was Shui $y\ddot{u}n$ i hsiang t'ai (水運儀象壹) in 1092. During the period Joseon Dynasty, China and Japan had been kept the time system that one day is divided into 12 shin (12辰) or 100 gak (刻). However detailed part of the system had a little difference among the three countries. Though the whole system of water clock in Joseon had manufactured on the basis of Chinese, it had been gradually developed by own method and idea. In this study we show the historical records of the standard time keeping system in East Asian history. And then we can inform materials on the structure and functional devises for the purpose of new restoration models about the automatic clock and time system.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.83-94
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• 2003

Chon-Mun-Ryu-Cho (天文類抄), written (edited) by Lee Sun-Ji (李純之) during the period of King Se-Jong, is a representative astronomy book of Cho-Sun (朝鮮: A.D. 1392-1910) Dynasty. We find and study in the first page of the book; the description of 28 oriental constellations as a Sasin (four mythical oriental animals)-animal sky map which is not widely known yet. The map consists of four groups of constellations, each of which represents the Sasin: Chang-Ryong (蒼龍: dragon), Baek-Ho (白虎: tige.s with Ki-Rin [離隣: Oriental giraffe]), Ju-Jak (朱崔: Chinese phoenix), Hyun-Mu (玄武: a tortoise interwined with a snake). Each group (animals) spans 2 ～ 7 of 28 oriental constellations (宿). As we know from the illustration (論說) of the Chon-Sang-Yol-Cha-Bun-Ya-Ji-Do (天象列次分野之圖), a representative sky map of Cho-Sun Dynasty, astronomy in Cho-Sun Dynasty is closely related to that in Go- Gu-Rye. (高句麗: B.C. 37 -A.D. 668) Dynasty. Since these Sasin-animals appear in most mural paintings of Go-Gu-Rye. (高句麗) tombs, visualization of sky with these animal constellations could have been established as early as in Go-Gu-Ryer Dynasty. We also reconstruct this ”A Sasin-animal Korean sky map” based on the shapes of the Sasin and Ki-Rin from Go-Gu-Ryer paintings and 28 oriental constellations in Chon- S an g- Yol- C h a- B un- Ya- J i- Do.