Liu Hong (astronomer)
| Liu Hong | |
|---|---|
| Astronomer of Han dynasty | |
| Born | 129[1] |
| Died | 210 (aged 80–81)[1] |
| Names | |
| Traditional Chinese | 劉 洪 |
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Liu Hong (129 – 210), courtesy name Yuanzhuo, was an Eastern Han-era Chinese astronomer and mathematician who developed a work on predicting the passage of the moon which was in use during the Three Kingdoms period of China.
Astronomy
Liu Hong born in Taishan Commandery (today's Mengyin County, Shandong province). He grew up in a family descended from the Prince Lu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu developed an interest in astronomy at an early age. He was made an officer at the Imperial Astronomy around AD 160 which led to him writing the lost works Qi Yao Shu (The Art of the Seven Planets) and Ba Yuan Shu (The Art of Eight Elements).[1] After the death of his father, Liu retired for a short time but returned to his work, collaborating with Cai Yong on the Qian Xiang Li (Qian Xiang Calendar),[2] this was considered so advanced for its time that it was adopted by the Imperial Government immediately. The calendar predicted the movement of the moon, the first time such considerations had been made in Ancient China.[1] This system marked the first appearance of the argument of periapsis, a means to calculate syzygy (the calculation between three celestial bodies), and a means of charting the moon through the seasons.[3] His means of establishing the accuracy of the calendar was by the detection of eclipses.[4]
This system replaced one which had been used by the Han Dynasty since AD 85, and following the move of China into the Three Kingdoms period, it was adopted by the Eastern Wu until China was re-unified under the Jin dynasty.[5] In 179, he was asked by the Imperial Secretariat to consider proposals made by a private scholar called Wang Han regarding lunar calendars, but did not support those proposals. A year later he was assigned by the Minister of Ceremonies to review alternative means of calculating eclipses. He was subsequently made an Internuncio, and then head of the guards of the gate at the capital before becoming commandant at Kuaiji and later an administrator of Shanyang Commandery prior to his death.[2]
References
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