Timeline of Chinese astronomy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a timeline of Chinese records and investigations in astronomy.

• 2137 BC October 22- Chinese book Classic of History; records the earliest known solar eclipse on October 22.

• ca. 2000 BC - Chinese determine that Jupiter needs 12 years to complete one revolution of its orbit.

• ca. 1400 BC - Chinese record the regularity of solar and lunar eclipses and the earliest known Solar prominence and two novas (七日己巳夕有新大星并火，辛未酉殳新星).

• ca. 1200 BC - Chinese divide the sky into twenty eight regions( Chinese constellation); for recognitions of the stars.

• ca. 1100 BC - Chinese first determine the spring equinox.

• 776 BC - Chinese make the earliest reliable record of solar eclipse.
• 613 BC, July - A Comet, possibly Comet Halley, record in Spring and Autumn Annals (秋七月，有星孛入于北斗).
• 532 BC - A nova was recorded in Records of the Grand Historian and Zuo Zhuan (周景王十三年春，有星出婺女).
• 28 BC - Chinese history book Book of Han makes earliest known dated record of sunspot.
• 185 AD - The earliest recorded supernova of RCW 86
• 687 - Chinese make earliest known record of meteor shower.
• 1054 - On July 4th, Chinese astronomers noted the appearance of a guest star, the supernova now called the Crab Nebula, Messier's M1.