Dunhuang Star Atlas

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	Dunhuang Star Atlas

Funkollektor

6-19-2009 10:26 AM

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tags:

astronomy, history

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<div style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clip-to-blog/" title="see clips that are hot right now"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_embed/a7974a99-8ec2-4c99-b7a2-0c0601e56e57/CDC70A0D-16B0-4E7A-8125-F446FF248E75/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html" href="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html" style="font-size: 11px;">antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content8.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/img/20CDC49C-1539-4116-880C-5D43D8F5B0ED" alt="See Explanation.  Clicking on the picture will download
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<B> Explanation: </B>
This ancient Chinese map of planet Earth's northern sky is part
of the Dunhuang Star Atlas, one of the most impressive
documents in the <A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Timeline_of_Chinese_astronomy">history of astronomy</A>.
The oldest complete star atlas known, it dates to the years 649 to
684, discovered at the
<A href="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080831.html">Silk Road</A> town of Dunhuang in 1907.
<A href="http://arxiv.org/abs/0906.3034">A recent analysis</A>
that examines the accuracy and projections
used to make it notes the atlas marks positions of over
1,300 stars and outlines 257 Chinese
<A href="http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Space/Research/StarName/
e_research_chinengstarzone.htm">star groups or asterisms</A>.
The star positions in the hand drawn atlas were found to be
accurate to within a few degrees.
In this example showing the north polar region, a very
recognizable <A href="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070108.html">Big Dipper</A>, part of the modern
constellation Ursa Major, lies along the bottom of the chart.
An additional 12 charts depict equatorial regions in 30 degree
sections and also include a grouping resembling the modern
constellation <A href="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030207.html">Orion</A>.
The <A href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v459/n7248/full/
459778a.html">atlas is on display</A>
at the British Library in London to celebrate the
<A href="http://www.iya2009.org/">International Year of Astronomy</A>.
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