A STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS ON THE YEONGBU (SHADOW DEFINER) USED IN THE DAEGUPYO (LARGE GNOMON) BUILT DURING THE REIGN OF KING SEJONG OF THE JOSEON DYNASTY AND ITS MODEL DESIGN
During the reign of King Sejong in the Joseon Dynasty (1433-1438), the Daegyupyo (large gnomon) was produced. The Daegyupyo, with a crossbar (horizontal bar), was used to observe the length of the gnomon’s shadow cast by the sun passing at the meridian. The shadow of this crossbar can be obtained using a measurable device called the Yeongbu (shadow definer). These Daegyupyo and Yeongbu are described in detail in the “Treatise on Astronomy” of Yuan History or “Celestial Spheres and Globes” of Jega-Yeoksang-Jjp (Collected Discourses on the Astronomy and Calendrical Science of the Chinese Masters). According to Jega-Yeoksang-Jjp, the Yeongbu had a structure similar to a door attached to its frame. A pinhole is located in the center of a copper leaf corresponding to the door of the Yeongbu. The image of the sun’s meridian transit and the shadow of the crossbar through the pinhole are projected onto the surface of the Daegyupyo’s ruler stone. Unlike the width and length of the Yeongbu, the height of the Yeongbu is not recorded. This research analyzed the height of the Yeongbu required to maintain the constant distance from the pinhole to the ruler stone surface. Based on these assumptions, it was estimated that 8 to 13 Yeongbu of different heights would be needed for observations using the Daegyupyo in Seoul. To accommodate the need for Yeongbu of various heights, this study proposed a model for a stackable Yeongbu with an adjustable height.