• Title/Summary/Keyword: ancient astronomy

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MECHANICAL POWER SYSTEM OF TONGCHEON-UI, AN ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK MADE BY HONG, DAE-YONG (홍대용이 제작한 천문시계 통천의의 기계동력시스템)

  • MIHN, BYEONG-HEE;YUN, YONG-HYUN;KIM, SANG HYUK;KI, HO CHUL
    • 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 MAUNDER MINIMUM AND SOLAR ACTIVITY (Maunder 극소기와 태양의 활동)

  • Lee Eun-Hee
    • Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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    • v.23 no.2
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    • pp.135-142
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    • 2006
  • The extension of sunspot number series and auroral observations backward in time is of considerable interest for dynamo theory, solar activity and climate research. It was known that the Maunder minimum corresponded to a unusual cold so called little ice age in Europe and the appearance of sunspot had a close relation to the occurrence of aurora. Therefore we have examined ancient records of sunspots and aurorae with indirect solar proxies during this period and have studied for the features and peculiarities of solar activity with the relation of the climate variation.

The Characteristics of The Study Methods of Janggaebin(張介賓) on Chinese Medicine in the perspective of Yeokri(易理) (장개빈운용역리연구중의학적방법급특점(张介宾运用易理硏究中医学的方法及特点))

  • Su, Ying
    • Journal of Korean Medical classics
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    • v.22 no.4
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    • pp.43-45
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    • 2009
  • This thesis analyzed the research method of Janggaebin(張介賓), a Traditional Chinese Medical expert in Ming Dynasty who studied traditional Chinese medicine in the perspective of Yeokri(易理). In his research, he mainly uses Hado(河圖), Nakseo(洛書) and Eight Diagrams to study medicine issues, the theory of Taegeuk(太極) figures to research natural evolvement, the ancient astronomy and calendar to explain the difficult problems in the theory of Ungi(運氣). This thesis has great value in understanding Janggaebin's medical thoughts and can guide further research on investigating the common root between traditional Chinese medicine and Yeokri.

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ON THE ASTRONOMICAL RECORDS MADE IN THE DAYS OF KING JEONGJO OF YI DYNASTY (승정원일기(承政院日記)와 조선정조시대(朝鮮正禮時代)의 천문관측기록(天文觀測記錄))

  • Nha, Il-Seong
    • Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.12 no.1
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    • pp.35-40
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    • 1979
  • Astronomical records in the days of King Jeongjo of Yi dynasty, 1777-1800, are examined for solar and lunar eclipses, meteors and comets. The books used for this investigation are Sung Jeong Won Il Gi, which are the original daily records written in the court. The records found in these Sung Jeong Won Il Gi are tabulated according to the four astronomical phenomena above, and they were cross checked with the records in the book, Jung Bo Mun Heon Bi Go. Although Jung Bo Mun Heon Bi Go has most frequently been used as the original records to those who work for the ancient Korean records, the inaccuracy and the deficiency are found.

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An analysis of the stars recorded in 『Hun-Gai-Tong-Xian-Tushuo 渾蓋通憲圖說』

  • Jeon, Junhyeok;Lee, Yong-Bok
    • 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.

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A study of Medicine in the Period of the Three Kingdoms (三國) (삼국시대(三國時代) 의학(醫學)에 관(關)한 문헌적(文獻的) 고찰(考察))

  • Sheen, Yeong-Il;Park, Chan-Guk
    • Journal of Korean Medical classics
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    • v.3
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    • pp.444-500
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    • 1989
  • I have felt seriously a desire to study and analyse the medicine of the period of the Three Kingdoms when I thought and studied the ancient medical history. Therefore in Chapter II I inquired into the background of Politico-social and the currency of thought. In the Chapter III inquired into the system of Medical politics in the period of the Three Kingdoms. In the Chapter IV inquired into the general view of the period of the Three Kingdoms. In the Chapter V inquired into the writings of Medicine and Doctors. From this study, I reached at following-conclusions. 1. The Three Kingdoms are politically opposed to each other, but socialo culturaly cooperated, connected each other to import the technique and thought which developed in China, so generally their system and life pattern are alike. 2. On the system of medical politcics Goguryeo(高句麗) had the system of court phisician, Baek jeo(百濟) had medical doctor and collector in the Ministry of Drug which took charge of teaching and medical treatment and specially had spellchanting doctor who treat epidermic and psychological diease untreated with herb and acupuncture, Shilla(新羅) had the system of Yak chun which was charge of teaching and treatment, and had the Chimbang(針房) which assist doctor in the system of Yagchun(藥典制度). 3. The medical interchange with China made the Three Kingdoms to import the medical books. So the theory of medicine was systematized and the art of treatment developed. In the aspect of Herb the Three Kingdoms and China actively exchange their own district product. 4. The medicine of Three Kingdoms accommodated Yin Yang Ohang theory(陰陽五行說), the theory of body compose with four element(四大 : 地水火風) and the theory of life cultivation and breathing(導引養生說) with Therefore in many aspect of oriental medicine basic theory and treatment would improved. 5. The epidermic diease occurred in period of Three Kingdoms, is represented Yeok(疫), that is after all Ohn Diease(溫病), and epidermic diease, is relfected by earthquake, heavy rain, terrible droughty and eclipse of sun. The treatment of this diease did not developed in that time, we presume that there are many persons killed. 6. As the record of five starr(五星), comet(彗星) and eclipse of sun was showed, the astronomy of oriental medicine in the Three Kingdoms was high level and it became the mothers womb of Korean astronomy. 7. The medicine of the Three Kingdoms, concreted with Chinese medicine and their own ancient one, was reflect on Japanese medicine to improve the medical theory and treatment. 8. The Three Kingdoms peculiarly published Korea Nosabang(高麗老師方) Baekjyeo Shinjipbang(百濟新集方), so this independent medicine reflected on the development of natural hurb(鄕約) of the period of Korea(高麗).

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Application of Magnetic Methods for finding the Egyptian archaeological features

  • Abdallatif Tareq Fahmy;Suh Mancheol;El-All Esmat Abd
    • 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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    • 2004.08a
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    • pp.157-179
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    • 2004
  • The application of magnetic method for archaeoprospection has been carried out through two archaeological areas in Egypt, Abydos and Abu Sir, In order to find out tile ancient Egyptian archaeological features. The magnetic work at the selected archaeological site of Abydos area was carried out by gradiometer survey, while magnetic work at the selected archaeological site of Abu Sir area was carried out by gradiometer survey and magnetic susceptibility measurements. A gradiometer survey with raster of 0.5 m/0.5 m has been carried out on a surface area of $9600 m^2$ at Abydos area to relocate the buried Solar Boats. The magnetic data were processed using Geoplot software to treat the field noises and enhance the quality of the obtained images. The final magnetic images indicate the existence of 12 Solar Boats as well as tombs, remains of ancient rooms and walls. All of them are expected to belong to the Middle Kingdom, particularly from the 18th to 20th Dynasties. Two magnetic tools have been applied over a selected site of $25600 m^2$ at Abu Sir area in order to detect the hidden archaeological features nearby the Sun Temple. The acquisition of the magnetic data was initiated by the measurements of the topsoil magnetic susceptibility of 272 samples collected from the whole studied area, and then followed by the gradiometer survey to measure tile vertical gradient of the geomagnetic field over an area of $14400 m^2$. The magnetic susceptibility results show the presence of high concentration at the middle part of the study area with a little extension to the south western side, with maximum value of about $36{\times}10^5$ SI. They may indicate the proximity of ritual monuments. Also, they offered the site of interest for carrying out a gradiometer survey. The gradiometer results show tile existence of numerous distributed archaeological features made of mud-bricks with different shapes and sizes. They may indicate tombs, burial rooms, dissected walls; all of them are expected to belong to the 5th Dynasty of pharaohs, who used to build their buildings by mud bricks. The depth of the expected buried archaeological features has been estimated from tihe gradiometer. It is around 1.2m for deep features and 0.42 m for shallow features.

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A STUDY ON THE CHUMSUNGDAE'S FIGURES AND FUNCTIONS (첨성대 수치와 역할에 대한 연구)

  • Kim, Kwang-Tae
    • Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
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    • v.28 no.2
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    • pp.25-36
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    • 2013
  • Chumsungdae is an ancient astronomical observatory whose main role was doing 'chunmoon'. It was administrate by a royal advisory agency on state affairs. The observers observed the heaven on the observatory platform, recorded peculiar events, and watched and interpreted the signs displayed in the heaven. Chumsungdae is an stonemasonry which represents almanac principles with its peculiar shapes and the numbers of strata and stones. The numbers were thoroughly invented to match exactly the almanac constants. Chumsungdae is comprised largely of three main parts, namely the square base, the stratified cylindrical body, and the top #-shaped stonework, and the total number of stones is 404. The number of the strata (27) and the height of the cylindrical body (27 尺) stand for the days in a sidereal month (27.3 days), which implies that the motion of the Moon with respect to the stars was given more priority than to the Sun at that time of geocentricism. And the cylindrical body was thoroughly designed to consist of 365 stones, which is of course the number of days in a solar year. In addition, there are 12 strata each under and above the south entrance and this in sum makes the 24 divisions of the year. Also there is 182 stones below the 13th stratum and this represents the number of days in the winter ~ summer solstice period, and the rest 183 stones the vice versa. The #-shaped top stonework was aligned in such a way that one of the diagonals points the direction of sunrise on the winter solstice. The square base also layed with the same manner. The south entrance was built 16 degrees SE, and the upright direction of the right pillar stone coincides with the meridian circle. This was a kind of built-in standard meridian circle facilitating the observations. In a symbolic sense, Chumsungdae was thought as the tunnel reaching the heaven, where the observers wished to be enlightened with the signs and inspirations in need. With the craftsmanship and skill, the builder reinforced the stratified cylindrical body with two sets of #-shaped beam stones, piercing at a right angle at 19th ~ 20th and 25th ~ 26th strata. Likewise, by placing the double #-shaped stonework with 8 beam stones on the platform of the observatory, both the stability of the stonemasonry and a guard rail for the nightly observers were securely provided.

AT WHAT TIME A DAY BEGINS IN THE KOREAN HISTORY? (한국사에서 하루의 시작은 언제부터인가?)

  • Ahn, Sang-Hyeon;Park, Jong-Woo
    • 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.

The Influence of Arabic Mathematics on the Modern Mathematics (아라비아 수학이 근세 수학 발전에 미친 영향)

  • 정지호
    • Journal for History of Mathematics
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    • v.2 no.1
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    • pp.9-27
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    • 1985
  • Islam toot a great interest in the utility sciences such as mathematics and astronomy as it needed them for the religious reasons. It needeed geometry to determine the direction toward Mecca, its holiest place: arithmetic and algebra to settle the dates of the festivals and to calculate the accounts lot the inheritance; astronomy to settle the dates of Ramadan and other festivals. Islam expanded and developed mathematics and sciences which it needed at first for the religious reasons to the benefit of all mankind. This thesis focuses upon the golden age of Islamic culture between 7th to 13th century, the age in which Islam came to possess the spirit of discovery and learning that opened the Islamic Renaissance and provided, in turn, Europeans with the setting for the Renaissance in 14th century. While Europe was still in the midst of the dark age of the feudal society based upon the agricultural economy and its mathematics was barey alive with the efforts of a few scholars in churches, the. Arabs played the important role of bridge between civilizations of the ancient and modern times. In the history of mathematics, the Arabian mathematics formed the orthodox, not collateral, school uniting into one the Indo-Arab and the Greco-Arab mathematics. The Islam scholars made a great contribution toward the development of civilization with their advanced the development of civilization with their advanced knowledge of algebra, arithmetic and trigonometry. the Islam mathematicians demonstrated the value of numerals by using arithmetic in the every day life. They replaced the cumbersome Roman numerals with the convenient Arabic numerals. They used Algebraic methods to solve the geometric problems and vice versa. They proved the correlation between these two branches of mathematics and established the foundation of analytic geometry. This thesis examines the historical background against which Islam united and developed the Indian and Greek mathematics; the reason why the Arabic numerals replaced the Roman numerals in the whole world: and the influence of the Arabic mathematics upon the development of the modern mathematics.

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