Comparison of Armillary Sphere in Ancient China and Western World
Armillary spheres were developed in the East and the West for a long time. They independently developed various functions for astronomy. In this article, we discuss the differences in mechanical structures, appearance, and functions between the armillary spheres in ancient China and Europe. The earl...
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| author | Jian-Liang Lin Kuo-Hung Hsiao |
| author_facet | Jian-Liang Lin Kuo-Hung Hsiao |
| author_sort | Jian-Liang Lin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Armillary spheres were developed in the East and the West for a long time. They independently developed various functions for astronomy. In this article, we discuss the differences in mechanical structures, appearance, and functions between the armillary spheres in ancient China and Europe. The earliest armillary sphere in ancient China was invented by Luo Xia Hong (落下閎) between 156 BC and 87 BC. Then, the armillary sphere in ancient China improved with the historical development of astronomy. The famous armillary sphere was built in an astronomical clock tower (水運儀象台) by Su Song (蘇頌) in the Song (宋) dynasty. This armillary sphere was an astronomical apparatus for the observation of celestial phenomena and the correction of time standards. However, the armillary sphere in Europe had different applications, even though the structures were similar. The armillary spheres in Europe simulated the sun’s trajectory in one day to predict the sunrise and sunset positions. They adjusted the tilting angle of the celestial sphere with the altitude of observation to observe the path of the stars around the ecliptic. Through this review, the armillary spheres in ancient China and Europe are defined clearly. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d454c69e0b074a678bb8a05dbdd5b04a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2673-4591 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Engineering Proceedings |
| spelling | doaj-art-d454c69e0b074a678bb8a05dbdd5b04a2025-08-20T03:24:39ZengMDPI AGEngineering Proceedings2673-45912025-02-018911510.3390/engproc2025089015Comparison of Armillary Sphere in Ancient China and Western WorldJian-Liang Lin0Kuo-Hung Hsiao1Technology Education Division, National Science and Technology Muse, Kaohsiung 807, TaiwanExhibition Division, National Science and Technology Muse, Kaohsiung 807, TaiwanArmillary spheres were developed in the East and the West for a long time. They independently developed various functions for astronomy. In this article, we discuss the differences in mechanical structures, appearance, and functions between the armillary spheres in ancient China and Europe. The earliest armillary sphere in ancient China was invented by Luo Xia Hong (落下閎) between 156 BC and 87 BC. Then, the armillary sphere in ancient China improved with the historical development of astronomy. The famous armillary sphere was built in an astronomical clock tower (水運儀象台) by Su Song (蘇頌) in the Song (宋) dynasty. This armillary sphere was an astronomical apparatus for the observation of celestial phenomena and the correction of time standards. However, the armillary sphere in Europe had different applications, even though the structures were similar. The armillary spheres in Europe simulated the sun’s trajectory in one day to predict the sunrise and sunset positions. They adjusted the tilting angle of the celestial sphere with the altitude of observation to observe the path of the stars around the ecliptic. Through this review, the armillary spheres in ancient China and Europe are defined clearly.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4591/89/1/15armillary sphereancient ChinaEurope |
| spellingShingle | Jian-Liang Lin Kuo-Hung Hsiao Comparison of Armillary Sphere in Ancient China and Western World Engineering Proceedings armillary sphere ancient China Europe |
| title | Comparison of Armillary Sphere in Ancient China and Western World |
| title_full | Comparison of Armillary Sphere in Ancient China and Western World |
| title_fullStr | Comparison of Armillary Sphere in Ancient China and Western World |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparison of Armillary Sphere in Ancient China and Western World |
| title_short | Comparison of Armillary Sphere in Ancient China and Western World |
| title_sort | comparison of armillary sphere in ancient china and western world |
| topic | armillary sphere ancient China Europe |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4591/89/1/15 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jianlianglin comparisonofarmillarysphereinancientchinaandwesternworld AT kuohunghsiao comparisonofarmillarysphereinancientchinaandwesternworld |