Overview
Key data
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Author | Mei Wending |
| Completed | Kangxi reign, Qing |
| Volumes | One |
| Contents | A comparison of Chinese and Western star names and positions |
Why it was written
After the entry of Western methods, Western star catalogues stood alongside the traditional Chinese star-officials,
and the names and positions of the two differed in many places, so that a comparison became necessary.
Mei Wending’s book was written for this.
Its method
The book matches the Chinese star-officials to Western star names one by one,
examining whether the positions agree, whether the numbers increase or decrease, and where the two differ.
It is an early systematic attempt by a Chinese scholar to compare the two star catalogues.
Value
For the fusion of Chinese and Western astronomy it is a small but telling instance.
Its method was limited by the conditions of its day,
but its question had opened the door to later comparison of star catalogues.
Compiled and arranged by Chujia Kuang.