Beijing Ancient Observatory

This article is about the originally pre-telescopic observatory that ceased astronomical operations before World War II. For the post-Communist revolution observatory, see Beijing Astronomical Observatory. For the planetarium, see Beijing Planetarium. For the Chinese national observatory network headquartered in Beijing, see National Astronomical Observatory of China.

On the grounds of the Beijing Ancient Observatory with a bronze bust of the astronomer and mathematician Guo Shoujing in the foreground.

The Beijing Ancient Observatory (simplified Chinese: 北京古观象台; traditional Chinese: 北京古觀象台; pinyin: Běijīng Gǔ Guānxiàngtái) is a pretelescopic observatory located in Beijing, China. The observatory was built in 1442 during the Ming dynasty, and expanded during the Qing.

As one of the oldest observatories in the world, the Beijing Ancient Observatory grounds cover an area of 10,000 square meters. The observatory itself is located on a 40 by 40 wide meter on a 15 meter tall brick tower, an extant portion of the old Ming dynasty era city wall that once encircled Beijing. Several of the bronze astronomical instruments are on the platform, and other armillary spheres, sundials, and other instruments are located nearby at ground level. It is operated as a museum in affiliation with the Beijing Planetarium.

History

Early European drawing of the Observatory

The layout of the observatory

It was said that in 1227, the Jin dynasty transferred the ancient astronomical instruments from Kaifeng to the first observatory in Beijing. In 1279, the succeeding Mongols under Kublai Khan built a new observatory just north of the current observatory. After the Mongols, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding Ming Emperor, transferred the instruments from Beijing to Nanjing. When the Yongle Emperor came to power, he had craftsmen make copies of the instruments in Nanjing and sent them to the Beijing observatory.

The current observatory was completed in 1442. It assisted the Ming and Qing astronomers in their observation reports for the Emperor. As he was considered the "Son of Heaven", the movements of the heavenly bodies were an important affair. Another function was to assist sea navigation, with Muslim scholars recruited for their expertise in the area. In the mid-17th century, after winning an astronomy contest, the Jesuit Ferdinand Verbiest was awarded complete charge of the astronomy observatory by the emperor. In 1673, he supervised the rebuilding of some of the instruments. He and other Jesuits helped to further develop the observations of the stars and the planets.

During the later stages of the Qing dynasty, members of the Eight-Nation Alliance stole some of the instruments. However, as World War I drew to a close, the instruments were returned to China by the French and German governments. An early seismograph of Zhang Heng's design used to be housed at the observatory. Some of the instruments from the Ming era are now at Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing.^[1]^[2]

Access and nearby attractions

The Beijing Ancient Observatory is located just south of Jianguomen in Dongcheng District and can be accessed by Lines 1 and 2 of the Beijing Subway to Jianguomen (Exit C) and bus routes 25, 39, 43, 44, 52, 122, 434, 637, 638, 750 and 特2 to Jianguomen South (建国门桥南). The Beijing Railway Station and the Ming City Wall Relics Park are a short walk to the south.

Gallery

Equatorial armilla at Beijing Ancient Observatory, built in 1673 for determining the true solar time as well as the coordinates, right ascension difference and declination of celestial bodies
An astronomical sextant, built in 1673, for measuring the angular distance between celestial bodies and the angular diameter of the Moon and Sun
An azimuth theodolite, built in 1715, for measuring the altitude of celestial bodies
An altazimuth, built in 1673, for determining azimuth of celestial bodies
An ecliptic armilla, built in 1673, for determining the coordinates of celestial bodies as well as the solar term
A celestial globe, built in 1673, to determine the time in which the celestial bodies will rise and set as well as the altitude and azimuth of them at any given time.
A new armilla, built in 1744, for determining true solar time as well as the right ascension difference and declination of celestial bodies
A quadrant, built in 1673, for measuring the altitudes and zenith locations of celestial bodies.
An armillary sphere replica, similar to the one now at Purple Mountain Observatory
Remnant of the old city wall connected to the observatory platform
The observatory in 1874.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beijing Ancient Observatory.

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