Researches On Hengxing Lizhi

Chongzhen Lishu is a series of large calendar in the late Ming Dynasty. It stands for a great change in the history of the Chinese calendar. As star theory of Chongzhen Lishu, Hengxing Lizhi plays a very important part in Chongzhen Lishu. This paper mainly uses literature analysis to analyze the specific content of Hengxing Lizhi based on a comprehensive system of research and analysis. And it shows that Hengxing Lizhi constructs the western method-based star theory in four aspects. And it further conducts a comprehensive analysis and interpretation of Hengxing Lizhi content on astronomy and mathematics and so on. The paper discusses its value and influence.This article includes five parts.The first chapter gives a brief overview of the situation in ancient China stellar observations. And then it introduces the research base of Hengxing Lizhi in three aspects such as the version of Hengxing Lizhi, the brief introduction of the authors and the theory of the round earth.The second chapter analyzes specific observation and calculation methods of Hengxing Lizhi in detail. The chapter also discusses the systematic, scientific and operational western classical and modern theories of spherical astronomy and star observation. It futher explores effective methods of Hengxing Lizhi in reducing the errors in measurement and instrument operation. It discusses the theories of parallax and atmospheric refraction.The third chapter studies the presence of star travelling by a large number of examples. It further analyzes how star travelling influences the stellar latitudes and longitudes of the equator and the ecliptic.This chapter involves the locations're-measurement of twenty-eight xiu's large stars and the change of the distance between the equator and the ecliptic. Lots of examples showed the reason why the star ecliptic latitudes shift and the ecliptic longitudes do not shift. These core findings will directly serve the star tables compiled.The fourth chapter analyzes different ways of using the ecliptic longitude and latitude to get the equatorial latitude and longitude. The specific problem-solving process about how to get equatorial latitude and longitude shows the characteristics of different methods. And it extracts and reveals the geometrical characteristics included in the mathematical theory of computation in the stars. Star maps are very important visual results of the calendar reform. This chapter further analyzes the principles and methods of drawing star maps and shows the theoretical value.As the conclusion part of this article, the fifth chapter describes the theoretical value, practical value, impact of astronomy in the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the deficiencies of Hengxing Lizhi.From this paper, we can draw a conclusion that as star theory of Chongzhen Lishu, Hengxing Lizhi really established a set of star theory based on western methods which are preciser than Chinese methods. So Hengxing Lizhi plays an important part in the history of China's star observation.