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Studies in the History of Natural Sciences  2019, Vol. 38 Issue (4): 454-460    DOI:
ARTICLES     
On Precession and the Superior Epoch in the Mingtian Li
WANG Jinrui1,2, QU Anjing1
1. Institute for Advanced Study in History of Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China;
2. School of Mathematics and Statics, Shaanxi Xueqian Normal University, Xi'an 710100, China
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Abstract  Precession (Suicha岁差)is one of the most important constants in the ancient Chinese calendar. It was normally determined by the method High Epoch Accumulated Years (Shang yuan ji nian上元积年), but in the Northern Song dynasty Zhou Cong designed a new method to calculate it. This paper analyses the related content in the Mingtian Li Yi, uncovering Zhou Cong's new way to determine Precession by the speed of the moon, and confirms that Precession is independent of the High Epoch Accumulated Years. We also reconsider the procedure to determine the High Epoch Accumulated Years in Mingtian Li, the results indicating that though the Precession was involved in the process of calculating the High Epoch Accumulated Years, this was completely different to the previous way that High Epoch Accumulated Years had been used to calculate the Precession. Thus, this article improves our understanding of the features of the astronomical constant system of ancient Chinese calendars.

Key words： Mingtian Li      Precession      Superior Epoch      Sidereal Year      Zhou Cong     
Received: 06 September 2018      Published: 18 June 2022
ZTFLH:  N092  
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WANG Jinrui, QU Anjing. On Precession and the Superior Epoch in the Mingtian Li. Studies in the History of Natural Sciences, 2019, 38(4): 454-460.

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http://www.shns.ac.cn/     OR     http://www.shns.ac.cn/Y2019/V38/I4/454

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