Solar Eclipses in the First Half of the Chunqiu Period

Details Solar Eclipses in the First Half of the Chunqiu Period Solar Eclipses in the First Half of the Chunqiu Period

Jun 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010pasj...62..797t&link_type=abstract

Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, Vol.62, No.3, pp.797--809

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Clock Correction, Earth And Moon, Eclipse, Histories And Philosophy Of Astronomy

Scientific paper

In the Chinese chronicle Chunqiu, which describes a partial (722 BC-481 BC) history of the Chunqiu Period (770 BC-403 BC), there are recorded 37 solar eclipse observations, starting in 720 BC and ending in 481 BC. Among these, there are 10 eclipse records that lack either the cyclic day number or a statement of `the new moon', or both. Three explanatory books Zuoshi-Zhuan, Guliang-Zhuan, and Gongyang-Zhuan written in the Zhanguo Period (403 BC-221 BC) have different interpretations concerning these records. Zuoshi-Zhuan simply says that royal astronomers forgot to record these data. On the other hand, Guliang-Zhuan says that these eclipses were observed on the last day of the month or during the night. Gongyang-Zhuan says that these were mainly observed on the second day of the month. A famous astronomer, Liuxin in the Han Dynasty, argued close to the idea of Gongyang-Zhuan. These discussions are related to the problem of establishing a precise calendar system in the Chunqiu Period. Controversial arguments continue until today. A Japanese astronomer, Toshio Watanabe (1958), conjectured that these eclipses may have been observed at sunrise or sunset. In the present report, we intend to confirm Watanabe's conjecture, and after confirming this we use this property to accurately determine the range of ΔT (see section 1 for definition) in this period. We have obtained new ΔT ranges in seconds from five eclipses which accompanied deep contemporaneous solar eclipses: 20153 ≤ ΔT ≤ 21094 at around 720 BC February 22, 18526 ≤ ΔT ≤ 20686 at around 676 BC April 15, 19409 ≤ ΔT ≤ 20402 at around 648 BC April 6 if the site is Paros, or 18353 ≤ ΔT ≤ 19235 at around 648 BC April 6 if the site is Thasos, 19172 ≤ ΔT ≤ 20910 at around 599 BC March 6, 16134 ≤ ΔT ≤ 19101 at around 558 BC May 31.

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