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.


Star map from Dunhuang


Asterism (Number of stars)
Star name
House
Longitudinally
angular
distance
Angular
distance
from
Yellow Path
to
North
/
South
Northern 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