Chinese Astronomy
Purple Forbidden Enclosure, Ziwei Yuan, is the boundary of the stars always visible in northern sky at night from a particular location. The following is angular measurements of stars of Purple Forbidden Enclosure recorded in Qing official astronomical records, 1744 AD.
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Star map from Dunhuang
Asterism (Number of stars) Star name House Longitudinally
angular
distanceAngular
distance
from
Yellow Pathto
North
/
SouthNorthern pole (5) Crown prince Wu 17°55'28" 75°13'01" N Emperor Wu 09°40'08" 72°58'26" N Son of concubine Wu 04°46'09" 71°25'20" N Imperial concubine Wei 29°08'24" 70°29'38" N Celestial pivot
(Northern pole)Wei 13°09'25" 67°02'51" N Four advisors (4) First Wei 05°00'18" 64°51'15" N Second Wei 08°01'25" 63°50'25" N Third Wei 11°36'55" 62°51'15" N Fourth Wei 12°03'07" 65°40'08" N Curved array (6) First Shen 24°59'43" 66°04'10" N Second Shen 27°34'30" 69°54'10" N Third Wei 05°40'25" 73°53'08" N Fourth Wei 23°47'25" 75°06'50" N Fifth Shen 17°56'45" 65°10'10" N Sixth Shen 12°12'45" 67°30'40" N Great emperor of heaven Shen 17°09'15" 68°01'41" N Celestial pillar (5) First Shen 10°51'20" 71°33'46" N Second You 26°33'54" 72°35'20" N Third You 26°08'29" 76°36'10" N Fourth Shen 07°52'25" 79°00'06" N Fifth Shen 26°29'05" 76°31'50" N Maids-in-waiting (4) First You 21°29'10" 80°40'03" N Second Shen 09°12'02" 80°24'25" N Third Wei 09°50'40" 81°58'33" N Fourth Shen 13°01'57" 83°31'20" N Female protocol Wei 00°05'58" 84°30'10" N Official of royal archives Shen 07°41'28" 84°50'40" N Royal secretary (5) First Wu 22°44'50" 86°50'45" N Second Si 01°33'52" 81°00'05" N Third Chen 00°30'58" 81°37'10" N Fourth Wu 23°06'00" 80°30'00" N Fifth Chen 00°52'47" 83°18'40" N Celestial bed (6) First Wu 22°04'56" 69°12'05" N Second Si 04°13'16" 74°04'27" N Third Si 25°54'30" 75°23'23" N Fourth Si 15°04'40" 78°55'40" N Fifth Si 06°55'30" 72°03'18" N Sixth Wu 17°02'33" 72°31'44" N Chief judge (2) First Wei 25°52'38 64°12'05" N Second Wei 27°53'38" 64°12'05 N Hidden virtue (2) First Wei 22°54'47" 58°11'13" N Second Wei 25°18'28" 57°14'30" N Six JIA (6) First Wei 00°06'40" 56°18'03" N Second Wei 02°03'45" 53°47'50" N Third Wei 05°25'25" 57°06'33" N Fourth Wei 02°01'25" 59°23'07" N Fifth Shen 21°27'55" 57°53'50" N Sixth Shen 23°16'40" 55°50'40" N Interior seats of five emperors (5) First Shen 12°03'32" 57°47'27" N Second Shen 05°34'07" 58°06'56" N Third Shen 12°43'10" 60°24'23" N Fourth Shen 11°48'34" 56°05'52" N Fifth Shen 18°17'00" 57°57'40" N Canopy of the emperor (7) First You 28°11'30" 55°24'40" N Second You 28°08'27" 55°58'51" N Third You 24°30'17" 56°10'13" N Fourth You 20°15'36" 54°13'40" N Fifth You 21°24'40" 52°49'50" N Sixth You 23°19'53" 51°50'12" N Seventh You 25°36'08" 51°38'50" N Canopy support (9) First Shen 11°01'56" 49°33'40" N Second Shen 08°47'48" 53°29'18" N Third Shen 04°23'12" 57°11'10" N Fourth Shen 02°36'18" 55°56'45" N Fifth Shen 00°00'53" 54°21'04" N Sixth You 29°45'43" 53°24'15" N Seventh You 28°23'26" 53°12'07" N Eighth You 25°57'04" 53°52'19" N Ninth You 24°13'44" 54°11'20" N Left wall (8) Left pivot Chen 01°18'05" 71°04'04" N First premier Chen 13°09'12" 74°26'00" N Second premier Chen 10°39'00" 78°26'30" N First minister Si 29°24'05" 84°47'00" N Second minister You 16°53'05" 83°11'30" N First imperial guard You 17°23'08" 75°18'45" N Second imperial guard You 19°59'46" 65°33'00" N Second prime minister You 25°59'30" 59°41'10" N Right wall (7) Right pivot Si 03°47'43" 66°20'52" N Second chief judge Wu 12°36'40" 61°43'20" N First minister Wu 06°43'30" 57°13'03" N Second minister Wei 22°46'52" 51°13'40" N First imperial guard Wei 03°34'30" 45°59'46" N Second imperial guard Shen 17°19'42" 43°20'28" N First prime minister Shen 04°17'14" 45°10'56" N Heavenly first one Si 01°16'05" 65°21'38" N Great first one Wu 25°36'00" 64°13'00" N Inner kitchen (2) First Wu 19°17'02" 61°04'10" N Second Wu 22°30'00" 60°53'45" N Northern dipper (7) Celestial pivot Wu 11°35'00" 49°40'05" N Celestial rotating jade Wu 15°49'13" 45°06'15" N Celestial shining pearl Wu 26°51'38" 47°07'20" N Celestial balance Wu 27°25'55" 51°39'40" N Jade sighting-tube Si 05°18'05" 54°19'35" N Opener of heat Si 12°03'23" 56°22'47" N Twinkling brilliance Si 23°18'40" 54°24'30" N Assistant Si 13°31'50" 5°740'40" N Celestial spear (3) First Si 26°21'39" 58°54'44" N Second Si 27°31'00" 58°51'50" N Third Si 28°59'00" 60°10'04" N Sombre lance Shen 03°22'58" 54°39'20" N Three excellencies (3) First Si 23°48'02" 50°51'40" N Second Si 20°46'00" 52°52'00" N Third Si 16°39'02" 51°47'06" N Prime minister Si 04°13'28" 48°06'27" N Judge for nobility (4) First Wu 14°46'08" 49°17'04" N Second Wu 20°44'26" 47°00'54" N Third Wu 24°37'57" 49°38'40" N Fourth Wu 19°29'31" 53°10'17" N Guard of the Sun Si 00°05'16" 41°31'58" N Royals Wu 25°13'58" 35°31'30" N Celestial prison (6) First Wu 22°55'40" 33°02'36" N Second Si 02°00'28" 32°41'32" N Third Wu 25°28'55" 31°02'12" N Fourth Si 00°06'20" 36°11'48" N Fifth Wu 26°23'16" 30°04'26" N Sixth Wu 28°22'44" 35°46'22" N Eunuch (4) First Wu 22°51'10" 23°55'27" N Second Wu 23°38'10" 21°23'45" N Third Wu 27°18'43" 21°02'47" N Fourth Wu 27°15'04" 24°55'30" N Administrative centre (6) First Wu 00°04'13" 46°09'22" N Second Wu 02°41'49" 42°39'06" N Third Wu 05°45'17" 38°14'10" N Fourth Wu 03°45'22" 34°56'22" N Fifth Wei 29°32'50" 33°25'56" N Sixth Wei 29°43'03" 36°04'25" N Inner steps (6) First Wei 19°25'32 40°12'34" N Second Wei 25°41'18" 42°48'00" N Third Wei 21°23'49" 44°55'03" N Fourth Wei 27°13'10" 45°07'04" N Fifth Wei 22°18'52" 42°19'35" N Sixth Wei 28°22'40" 38°35'08" N Three top instructors (3) First Wei 20°24'10" 47°54'45" N Second Wei 26°49'07" 51°52'17" N Third Wei 21°38' 47°28'50" N Eight kinds of crops (8) First Shen 26°21'23" 30°49'02" N Second Shen 25°35'27" 32°30'50" N Third Shen 24°12'23" 32°39'57" N Fourth Shen 19°33'48" 39°29'29" N Fifth Shen 15°43'53" 30°51'06" N Sixth Shen 17°11'51" 29°24'50" N Seventh Shen 17°55'19" 35°53'33" N Eighth Shen 25°39'31" 36°24'40" N Guest house (9) First You 09°16'30" 59°00'53" N Second You 13°32'47" 54°59'48" N Third You 15°40'06" 51°39'20" N Fourth You 16°31'12" 51°13'50" N Fifth You 26°06'24" 48°53'06" N Sixth You 28°55'21" 42°31'17" N Seventh Shen 03°12'55" 39°32'23" N Eighth Shen 02°41'58" 38°26'43" N Ninth Shen 01°27'36" 35°10'47" N Celestial kitchen (6) First Xu 13°51'03" 82°52'50" N Second Xu 27°54'35" 80°55'14" N Third Xu 29°16'40" 79°27'40" N Fourth Xu 16°58'43" 78°07'40" N Fifth Xu 02°52'18" 77°28'10" N Sixth Xu 00°07'35 81°48'30" N Celestial flail (5) First Yin 21°14'20" 80°19'40" N Second Yin 06°51'33" 78°11'18" N Third Yin 08°30'46" 75°19'55" N Fourth Yin 24°27'48" 74°58'20" N Fifth Yin 16°16'06" 69°18'49" N
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