천상열차분야지도, 과거 천문역법 바이블(문자)과 현재 하늘(천상)의 조합

Abstract

In the entire content of the engraved Cheonsang-Yeolcha-Bunyajido(天象列次分野之圖), there are four main kinds of information giving directions to particular time(or a range of time). There are three among the sentences which are in different square or circular boxes, and one in the star carving. Most of the sentences in the boxes are the bible of the past astronomical calendar, and have calculated values of the calendrical calculation system that was popular with many people. The earliest recorded time was B.C. 451 when the so-called ‘the first point of Altair was the winter solstice point’, and Hànshū Lǜ-lìzhì(漢書 律曆志) reflecting the longitude of the lunar mansions of all 24 solar terms was its first reference. Next, there were two calendrically calculated values in the A.D. period. They are the longitude at the intersection in the zodiac and the equator in Yuè-Xiù(月宿), one of the box sentences of Cheonsang-Yeolcha-Bunyajido, and one of other box sentences of Èrshíbāxiù-Qùjí-Fēndù(二十八宿去極分度). Only the calculated values of Hūnxiǎo-Zhōngxīng(昏曉中星) of solar terms, which are marked in the shape of 24-direction radiation in the round box sentences placed in the top middle of Cheonsang-Yeolcha-Bunyajido, are of the time of the Joseon Dynasty during which they were engraved. Its situation is explained in the epilogue; the box sentence at the bottom. The star carving occupying more than half of the whole area was drawn with the law of zhōngqì-guògōng(中氣過宮) applied to it. The rough time of the following action was around the 7th~8th century. Cheonsang-Yeolcha-Bunyajido is a masterpiece from the aspect of being practical enough to show the sky of the current solar term precisely, especially the location of the sun and the moon, by imagining the rotation in the area from the center to the place where constellations are engraved from side to side as if turning a dial. The practicality becomes possible because of the very '365 gradations densely attached to the big circle carving outside of the concentric circle’ along with the ‘longitude lines of the determinative stars of 28 lunar mansions’. Cheonsang-Yeolcha-Bunyajido is a humanistic and practical exhibition of astronomy provided by the king to the royal court officials.