Chinese constellations

The Chinese constellations (星 官Xing, Guan ) indicate the order of the stars according to the Chinese astronomy. These denote regions of the sky are very different from the IAU constellations that are now common in astronomy.

The sky mapping

The early Chinese astronomers divided the night sky into 31 regions, these include three areas (Chinese三 垣, Pinyin San Yuán, enclosure, area ') and 28 residences (二十八宿, Ershiba Xiu, sleeping, resting place, hostel '). The three areas include the region of the sky around the north and can be seen throughout the year. The 28 residences ( XIU ) extend triangular of the ecliptic to the Himmelpol and are named after constellations in the zodiac. The Chinese constellations are smaller than the western, alone the ecliptic, residences ' split from the Chinese tradition in 28宿Xiu ​​, corresponding to the distance traveled by the moon per day.

( See: Chinese Zodiac )

The Chinese probably came about in the second century BC to the Sumerian Astronomy in contact, but could the twelve pitch ( which is still preserved in the zodiac ) little abgewinnen: The Chinese constellations give primarily the course of the moon in a synodic lunar month again, which as the sun in a solar year. It is therefore also called the " 28 moon stations ". They are more like the Indian Nakshatras system, but which is used to calculate a 27 -day sidereal lunar calendar.

The three areas and 28 residences are further subdivided into 283 constellations. Any visible star belongs to one of these constellations, some of which consist of one star. Traditionally, the name of a star from the name of his star image and a number - this is similar to the modern astronomical nomenclature.

The three areas

The three areas are the purple forbidden area (紫微 垣, Zi Wei Yuán ), the area of ​​highest palace (太微 垣, Tài Wei Yuan ) and the area of the heavenly market (天 市 垣, Tian Shì Yuán ). The first area covers the whole of the north of the sky, it is the view of the Chinese astrologers in its center. The second area is located east and north and the area of the heavenly market lies to the west and south of this ( Chinese ) sky center.

The 28 residences

The 28 residences are assigned to the "four symbols" ( = four directions ) (each 7 residences ). These symbols or four miracles animals四象, Sì Xiang are:

• The Blue Dragon of the East,东方 青龙, Dong Fang Qing Long,
• The Red Bird of the South,南方 朱雀, Nan Fang Zhuque,
• The White Tiger of the West西方 白虎, Xī catch Bái hǔ, and
• The Black Tortoise of the North北方 玄武, BEI FANG Xuánwǔ.

The from the Chinese Horoscope " known Zodiac ", the twelve earthly branches have no equivalent in the sky as constellations.

The terms and the reigning stars are:

Number of detected stars

Chinese star map

The southern constellations

As the sky around the south celestial pole to the Chinese for a long time was unknown, it is not included in the system of the three areas and 28 residences. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Xu Guangqi, therefore, led to the foundation of western sky maps a 23 new constellations.

Star designation

Very early Chinese astronomers have systematically named the stars, more than 1000 years before Johann Bayer did this in a similar way. Each star was assigned to a constellation. Furthermore, was assigned a number to each star of this constellation. The name of a star that is was composed as following: constellation number. The number of the star in the constellation, there is not - as the Bayer designation - the relative brightness of the star again, but its position in the constellation.

Altair is, for example, in Chinese河鼓 二, He Gu Er. 河鼓The drum is called the Ho River, the name of the constellation. 二is the Chinese symbol for the number two. Altair is in Chinese so the " Second Star of the Drum at the River ".

Some stars have additionally traditional names that are associated with mythology or astrology often. Altair is in China only under the name牛郎星, Niulang Xing or牵牛星, the star of the cowherd 'is known, a name derived from a mythical story of a cowherd and a weaver girl.

These terms are also used in modern Chinese astronomy. All English star names for which there are traditional names are usually translated with these traditional names instead of the catalog name.