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
distanceAngular
distance
from
Yellow Pathto
North
/
SouthNorthern 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
![]()