Ancient Astronomical Instruments

Ancient Astronomical Instruments

The ancient astronomical instruments are protected cultural relics of Jiangsu Province.

The Purple Mountain Observatory was established in 1929 by the Institute of Astronomy under the Academia Sinica of the Nationalist Government and completed by the end of 1934. It was personally surveyed, designed, and supervised in construction by Yu Qingsong, China’s astrophysicist and the observatory’s first director, making it the first modern astronomical observatory designed and built independently in China. In 1950, it was renamed the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a name it retains to this day. Here, five ancient astronomical instruments used by astronomers during the Ming and Qing dynasties for actual celestial observation are well preserved. Among them, the armillary sphere, simplified armilla, and gnomon cast during the Zhengtong era of the Ming Dynasty are the most precious — they are the largest existing ancient bronze astronomical instruments in China and around the world. The armillary sphere is an instrument for measuring the positions and movements of celestial bodies and is a traditional Chinese tool for observing the heavens. Research suggests that primitive versions of the armillary sphere existed as early as the beginning of the Warring States period (475–221 BC). During the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC–25 AD), Luo Xiaoheng created a floating armillary device. Over time, the construction of armillary spheres became increasingly precise, with structures growing more rational and practical. In the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), the astronomer Li Chunfeng created an armillary sphere composed of three concentric rings, perfecting the structure of the instrument. Later armillary spheres maintained this scientific design.

In 1900, during the invasion of Beijing by the Eight-Nation Alliance, the Ancient Observatory was largely looted. The Qing government replicated the instruments in 1903. This particular instrument has a diameter of three feet and is embedded with 1,449 stars, retaining the traditional Chinese star names and constellation divisions, though the constellations within the Antarctic Circle were introduced from the West in the late Ming Dynasty. In 1937, when Nanjing was occupied by Japanese forces, the ancient astronomical instruments kept at the observatory also suffered severe damage. Nearly all the dragon claws and horns on the celestial globe were destroyed, and the gnomon was sawn, with the saw marks still visible today.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Protected Cultural Relics of Jiangsu Province