Chinese Astronomy

Purple Forbidden Enclosure, Ziwei Yuan, is the boundary of the stars always visible in northern sky at night from a particular location. The following is angular measurements of stars of Purple Forbidden Enclosure recorded in Qing official astronomical records, 1744 AD.


Copy of the Star chart from Dunhuang (Or.8210/S.3326)


Asterism (Number of stars)
Star name
House
Longitudinally
angular
distance
Angular
distance
from
Yellow Path
to
North
/
South
Northern pole (5)
 

Crown prince Wu 17°55'28" 75°13'01" N

Emperor Wu 09°40'08" 72°58'26" N

Son of concubine Wu 04°46'09" 71°25'20" N

Imperial concubine Wei 29°08'24" 70°29'38" N

Celestial pivot
(Northern pole)
Wei 13°09'25" 67°02'51" N
Four advisors (4)
 

First Wei 05°00'18" 64°51'15" N

Second Wei 08°01'25" 63°50'25" N

Third Wei 11°36'55" 62°51'15" N

Fourth Wei 12°03'07" 65°40'08" N
Curved array (6)
 

First Shen 24°59'43" 66°04'10" N

Second Shen 27°34'30" 69°54'10" N

Third Wei 05°40'25" 73°53'08" N

Fourth Wei 23°47'25" 75°06'50" N

Fifth Shen 17°56'45" 65°10'10" N

Sixth Shen 12°12'45" 67°30'40" N

Great emperor of heaven Shen 17°09'15" 68°01'41" N
Celestial pillar (5)
 

First Shen 10°51'20" 71°33'46" N

Second You 26°33'54" 72°35'20" N

Third You 26°08'29" 76°36'10" N

Fourth Shen 07°52'25" 79°00'06" N

Fifth Shen 26°29'05" 76°31'50" N
Maids-in-waiting (4)
 

First You 21°29'10" 80°40'03" N

Second Shen 09°12'02" 80°24'25" N

Third Wei 09°50'40" 81°58'33" N

Fourth Shen 13°01'57" 83°31'20" N

Female protocol Wei 00°05'58" 84°30'10" N

Official of royal archives Shen 07°41'28" 84°50'40" N
Royal secretary (5)
 

First Wu 22°44'50" 86°50'45" N

Second Si 01°33'52" 81°00'05" N

Third Chen 00°30'58" 81°37'10" N

Fourth Wu 23°06'00" 80°30'00" N

Fifth Chen 00°52'47" 83°18'40" N
Celestial bed (6)
 

First Wu 22°04'56" 69°12'05" N

Second Si 04°13'16" 74°04'27" N

Third Si 25°54'30" 75°23'23" N

Fourth Si 15°04'40" 78°55'40" N

Fifth Si 06°55'30" 72°03'18" N

Sixth Wu 17°02'33" 72°31'44" N
Chief judge (2)
 

First Wei 25°52'38 64°12'05" N

Second Wei 27°53'38" 64°12'05 N
Hidden virtue (2)
 

First Wei 22°54'47" 58°11'13" N

Second Wei 25°18'28" 57°14'30" N
Six JIA (6)
 

First Wei 00°06'40" 56°18'03" N

Second Wei 02°03'45" 53°47'50" N

Third Wei 05°25'25" 57°06'33" N

Fourth Wei 02°01'25" 59°23'07" N

Fifth Shen 21°27'55" 57°53'50" N

Sixth Shen 23°16'40" 55°50'40" N
Interior seats of five emperors (5)
 

First Shen 12°03'32" 57°47'27" N

Second Shen 05°34'07" 58°06'56" N

Third Shen 12°43'10" 60°24'23" N

Fourth Shen 11°48'34" 56°05'52" N

Fifth Shen 18°17'00" 57°57'40" N
Canopy of the emperor (7)
 

First You 28°11'30" 55°24'40" N

Second You 28°08'27" 55°58'51" N

Third You 24°30'17" 56°10'13" N

Fourth You 20°15'36" 54°13'40" N

Fifth You 21°24'40" 52°49'50" N

Sixth You 23°19'53" 51°50'12" N

Seventh You 25°36'08" 51°38'50" N
Canopy support (9)
 

First Shen 11°01'56" 49°33'40" N

Second Shen 08°47'48" 53°29'18" N

Third Shen 04°23'12" 57°11'10" N

Fourth Shen 02°36'18" 55°56'45" N

Fifth Shen 00°00'53" 54°21'04" N

Sixth You 29°45'43" 53°24'15" N

Seventh You 28°23'26" 53°12'07" N

Eighth You 25°57'04" 53°52'19" N

Ninth You 24°13'44" 54°11'20" N
Left wall (8)
 

Left pivot Chen 01°18'05" 71°04'04" N

First premier Chen 13°09'12" 74°26'00" N

Second premier Chen 10°39'00" 78°26'30" N

First minister Si 29°24'05" 84°47'00" N

Second minister You 16°53'05" 83°11'30" N

First imperial guard You 17°23'08" 75°18'45" N

Second imperial guard You 19°59'46" 65°33'00" N

Second prime minister You 25°59'30" 59°41'10" N
Right wall (7)
 

Right pivot Si 03°47'43" 66°20'52" N

Second chief judge Wu 12°36'40" 61°43'20" N

First minister Wu 06°43'30" 57°13'03" N

Second minister Wei 22°46'52" 51°13'40" N

First imperial guard Wei 03°34'30" 45°59'46" N

Second imperial guard Shen 17°19'42" 43°20'28" N

First prime minister Shen 04°17'14" 45°10'56" N

Heavenly first one Si 01°16'05" 65°21'38" N

Great first one Wu 25°36'00" 64°13'00" N
Inner kitchen (2)
 

First Wu 19°17'02" 61°04'10" N

Second Wu 22°30'00" 60°53'45" N
Northern dipper (7)
 

Celestial pivot Wu 11°35'00" 49°40'05" N

Celestial rotating jade Wu 15°49'13" 45°06'15" N

Celestial shining pearl Wu 26°51'38" 47°07'20" N

Celestial balance Wu 27°25'55" 51°39'40" N

Jade sighting-tube Si 05°18'05" 54°19'35" N

Opener of heat Si 12°03'23" 56°22'47" N

Twinkling brilliance Si 23°18'40" 54°24'30" N

Assistant Si 13°31'50" 5°740'40" N
Celestial spear (3)
 

First Si 26°21'39" 58°54'44" N

Second Si 27°31'00" 58°51'50" N

Third Si 28°59'00" 60°10'04" N

Sombre lance Shen 03°22'58" 54°39'20" N
Three excellencies (3)
 

First Si 23°48'02" 50°51'40" N

Second Si 20°46'00" 52°52'00" N

Third Si 16°39'02" 51°47'06" N

Prime minister Si 04°13'28" 48°06'27" N
Judge for nobility (4)
 

First Wu 14°46'08" 49°17'04" N

Second Wu 20°44'26" 47°00'54" N

Third Wu 24°37'57" 49°38'40" N

Fourth Wu 19°29'31" 53°10'17" N

Guard of the Sun Si 00°05'16" 41°31'58" N

Royals Wu 25°13'58" 35°31'30" N
Celestial prison (6)
 

First Wu 22°55'40" 33°02'36" N

Second Si 02°00'28" 32°41'32" N

Third Wu 25°28'55" 31°02'12" N

Fourth Si 00°06'20" 36°11'48" N

Fifth Wu 26°23'16" 30°04'26" N

Sixth Wu 28°22'44" 35°46'22" N
Eunuch (4)
 

First Wu 22°51'10" 23°55'27" N

Second Wu 23°38'10" 21°23'45" N

Third Wu 27°18'43" 21°02'47" N

Fourth Wu 27°15'04" 24°55'30" N
Administrative centre (6)
 

First Wu 00°04'13" 46°09'22" N

Second Wu 02°41'49" 42°39'06" N

Third Wu 05°45'17" 38°14'10" N

Fourth Wu 03°45'22" 34°56'22" N

Fifth Wei 29°32'50" 33°25'56" N

Sixth Wei 29°43'03" 36°04'25" N
Inner steps (6)
 

First Wei 19°25'32 40°12'34" N

Second Wei 25°41'18" 42°48'00" N

Third Wei 21°23'49" 44°55'03" N

Fourth Wei 27°13'10" 45°07'04" N

Fifth Wei 22°18'52" 42°19'35" N

Sixth Wei 28°22'40" 38°35'08" N
Three top instructors (3)
 

First Wei 20°24'10" 47°54'45" N

Second Wei 26°49'07" 51°52'17" N

Third Wei 21°38' 47°28'50" N
Eight kinds of crops (8)
 

First Shen 26°21'23" 30°49'02" N

Second Shen 25°35'27" 32°30'50" N

Third Shen 24°12'23" 32°39'57" N

Fourth Shen 19°33'48" 39°29'29" N

Fifth Shen 15°43'53" 30°51'06" N

Sixth Shen 17°11'51" 29°24'50" N

Seventh Shen 17°55'19" 35°53'33" N

Eighth Shen 25°39'31" 36°24'40" N
Guest house (9)
 

First You 09°16'30" 59°00'53" N

Second You 13°32'47" 54°59'48" N

Third You 15°40'06" 51°39'20" N

Fourth You 16°31'12" 51°13'50" N

Fifth You 26°06'24" 48°53'06" N

Sixth You 28°55'21" 42°31'17" N

Seventh Shen 03°12'55" 39°32'23" N

Eighth Shen 02°41'58" 38°26'43" N

Ninth Shen 01°27'36" 35°10'47" N
Celestial kitchen (6)
 

First Xu 13°51'03" 82°52'50" N

Second Xu 27°54'35" 80°55'14" N

Third Xu 29°16'40" 79°27'40" N

Fourth Xu 16°58'43" 78°07'40" N

Fifth Xu 02°52'18" 77°28'10" N

Sixth Xu 00°07'35 81°48'30" N
Celestial flail (5)
 

First Yin 21°14'20" 80°19'40" N

Second Yin 06°51'33" 78°11'18" N

Third Yin 08°30'46" 75°19'55" N

Fourth Yin 24°27'48" 74°58'20" N

Fifth Yin 16°16'06" 69°18'49" N


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