In this study, we explore and catalog Korean astronomical heritages that are known to be preserved in foreign countries. We exclude old astronomical books from the catalog because they have been well studied and exist in numbers far too large for the scope of this study. From various documents and online collections, we find a total of 38 Korean astronomical heritages in six countries: 10, 11, and 14 items from the UK, France, and Japan, respectively, and 1 item from Germany, the US, and China each. These include items that are suspected to be of Chinese heritage and items of unconfirmed possession status. We divide the astronomical heritages primarily into two groups: time-keeping instruments (18 items) and astronomical charts (20 items). In this paper, we briefly review them according to country. We believe that this study provides a foundation for further detailed studies on each item, such as the Gujang-Cheonsang-Yeolcha-Bunya-Jido (舊藏天象列次分野之圖) preserved in the Library of Congress, United States.

We analyzed the records on the reign style and the calendrical data presented in the Samguksagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) and the epigraph of the Three Kingdoms (Silla, Goguryeo, and Baekje) period in Korea (B.C. 57 – A.D. 935) to verify the chronological tables of the period that are currently in use. For the epigraph of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, we utilized the database provided by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage. By analyzing the records on the reign style, first, we found that the Yeonpyo (Chronological Table) of the Samguksagi is tabularized using the reign style of the Caowei for the period of Three Kingdoms of China (Caowei, Shuhan, and Sunwu) (A.D. 220 – 280). Second, we found that the reign style of the Silla was promulgated during the reign period of a king, which was usually promulgated when a king acceded in China. Third, we found that the reign styles presented in historical materials showed agreement with those of the Yeonpyo except for two cases in the Goguryeo. Concerning the records on the calendrical data, first, we confirmed that accession years of kings Michu, Beobheung, Seondeok, Minae, Gyeongmun, and Seongdeok. On the other hand, we found probable errors in the record of accession years for the kings Munja, Wideok, Aejang, and Heonan. Next, we found that the records of the length of a lunar month, leap month, and cyclic day showed agreement with the current chronological table except for several cases. In particular, cyclic days in the solar eclipse account had a relatively large number of discrepancies. We believe that these errors might have been caused by the inaccurate identification of a year in the records of the Three Kingdoms while determining the year by referring to Chinese historical documents. Finally, we found that the starting point was included while counting a year, at least from the Three Kingdoms period, similar to the current method of counting age in Korea. However, we point out that the starting point should be excluded when the term “after” is used in the expression. We believe that this study is very useful to verify the current chronological table of the Three Kingdoms period in Korea.

Korea has numerous astronomical resources, such as observational records, star maps, and a wealth of literature, covering the period from the Three Kingdoms (54 BC - 932 AD) to the Joseon Dynasty (1392 - 1910 AD). The research activities related to these resources have been limited to those by individual researchers. It is now necessary to conduct research by efficiently and systematically collecting and managing Korean astronomical records using an accessible Web environment. The purpose of this study is to complete a system that enables researchers systematically to collect and verify a large number of historical records related to astronomical phenomena in a Web environment. In 2017, a preliminary survey was conducted, and the requirements pertaining to an implementation target system were devised. In addition, a joint development plan was carried out by the developer, lasting three months in 2018. Although the system is relatively simple, it is the first system to be attempted in the historical astronomy field. In order to proceed with the systematic development, the software development methodology is applied to the entire process from deriving the requirements of researchers to completing the system. The completed system is verified through integrated function and performance tests. The functional test is repeated while modifying and testing the system based on various test scenarios. The performance test uses a performance measurement test tool that takes measurements by setting up a virtual operation environment. The developed system is now in normal operation after a one-year trial period. Researchers who become authorized to use the system can use it to verify the accuracy of data and to suggest improvements. The collected feedback will be reflected in future systems, and Korean astronomical records will be available for use internationally through a multilingual service.

We investigate the provenance and the changes in the timekeeping system focusing on official records such as almanacs and textbooks published by the government after the solar calendar was introduced. We found that the solar calendar and the 12-hour clock time first appeared in 1884 during Joseon dynasty, at that time the solar calendar was used at the open port in Busan to facilitate the exchanges with Japan. The 12-hour clock time first appeared in the『Hansung Sunbo』published by the government in 1884. We also found that the Joseon dynasty also used 12 diǎnzhōng or 12 diǎn. In addition, the term of the ‘Sigan’ first appeared in the first official academic textbook in August 1895, and the chapter related to time contained the information about 12-hour clock time instead of the 12 Shi. In 1908, the meaning of the solar time, the equation of time, and the differences in longitude with the adoption of Korean Standard Time were introduced. Meanwhile, the 24-hour clock time was first introduced in Joseon and applied to railway times in 1907. The 1946 almanac, the first issue after liberation, used the 12-hour clock time which uses ‘Sango’, ‘Hao’ and the 24-hour clock time started to be used from the following year and is still used to this day. Finally, the 12-hour clock time, which was introduced around 1884, was enacted as Article 44 of the law in 1900 and was revised again in 1905 and 1908. In Korea, the terms related to the time in the current astronomical calendar system were newly defined around 1884, 1896, and 1908, and gradually standardized through the establishment of laws.

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) has constructed online database of the Korean Astronomical Almanac as a part of the 'Knowledge and Information Business Project 2009' supported by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy. Throughout this project, KASI provides both digitized images and extracted text from the almanac covering approximately 240 years. The primary purpose of this paper is to serve as a reference for users of the almanac database. Hence, we introduce the calendar history and kinds of the astronomical almanac used in Korea, and explain the contents of the almanacs according to its appearance time. We also briefly mention the steps employed in constructing the database system and Web site. Since ancient times, astronomical almanacs have been an essential part of daily life. We, therefore, believe that the astronomical almanac database constructed by KASI will prove its usefulness in various fields, and particularly in the study of historical astronomy.

In this study, we investigate the changes in the equatorial lodge degrees and polar distance degrees of determinative stars in the ancient Chinese archives. Confirmed is the fact that the coordinate values of those determinative stars defined in B.C. 104 had been used until the 8th century but were modified by the observations of Li Chunfeng (李淳風) in the early 7th century and Yixing (一行) in 723 A.D. The results of this study are compared with those in History of Chinese Astronomical Observations of Pan Nai. By applying the results of comtemporary astrodynamical calculations, their reliability is checked, and the corrected catalogues of Shi Shi (石氏) and Yixing are provided. The positional accuracy of those observations is estimated to be one degree.

In this paper, we analyze the scientific inquiries type on Almanac and Historical Astronomy asked through the Q&A service in Korea Astronomy and Science Institute(KASI) webpage with the aid of scientific inquiries analysis methods. We also study the contents of the questions. Specifically, we have created statistics of questions and inquiries, and have developed categories to analyze the characteristics of questions with regard to their cognitive aspects. Each question is categorized as either of the two elements based on their recognitive aspect: science knowledge or science study. Each element also has sub-categories that help the reader understand the characteristics of the questions. For the analysis, we used the sample consisting of questions collected from April, 2005 to June, 2007. Through this study, we achieved a better understanding of the questions in the area of Almanac and Historical Astronomy asked in the Q&A service. Throughout this study, we find that the need of questions in the area of Almanac and Historical Astronomy are increasing with time, and the overall quality of the questions is getting improved. As we expect that the number of people using our Q&A service will increase and that the questions will get more difficult to answer, development of improved contents is required.

We investigate solar and lunar motions in the Seonmyeong (SM) calendar that was compiled by Xu, Ang of the Tang dynasty (A.D. 618–907) in China and used for 71 years from 822 to 892. This calendar was also used in Korea during the Goryeo dynasty (A.D. 918–1392) and in Japan for 823 years from 862 to 1684, the longest time among the three countries. Referring to historical documents of China, Korea, and Japan, we analyze the calendrical methods of calculating the daily apparent movements of the Sun and Moon in the SM calendar, which were considered their unequal motions, and compare the movements with the results of modern calculations for three periods in the Goryeo dynasty: 919, 1155, and 1392 years (i.e., the beginning, middle, and ending of the dynasty, respectively). We find that a quadratic equation was employed to obtain the daily movement of the Sun using physical quantities on the instant of each solar term, which was tabulated in its calendar book such as the Goryeosa (History of the Goryeo Dynasty). For quantitative analysis, we compute the mean absolute difference (MAD) of the daily apparent movement between the SM calendar and modern calculations and obtain 0.33, 0.30, and 0.31 arcmin for the periods of 919, 1155, and 1392 years, respectively. Meanwhile, we find relatively large MAD values in the daily movement of the Moon: 0.217, 0.284, and 0.240 degrees for each corresponding year. An interesting point is that the MAD value in the lunar motion shows the maximum in 1155 years, and is the minimum in the solar motion. In conclusion, we believe that this study will facilitate in the understanding of the SM calendar further, particularly in the calendrical methods of calculating sunrise, sunset, and eclipse times.

I investigated a method for drawing the star chart in the planisphere Cheonsang-yeolcha-bunyajido. The outline of the star chart can be constructed by considering the astronomical information given in the planisphere alone and the drawing method described in Xin-Tangshu; further the chart can be completed by using additional information on the shape and linking method of asterisms out of an inherited star chart. The circles of perpetual visibility, the equator, and the circle of perpetual invisibility are concentric, and their common center locates the Tianshu-xing, which was defined to be a pole star in the Han dynasty. The radius of the circle of perpetual visibility was modified in accordance with the latitude of Seoul, whereas the other circles were drawn for the latitude of 35°, which had been the reference latitude in ancient Chinese astronomy. The ecliptic was drawn as an exact circle by parallel transference of the equator circle to fix the location of the equinoxes at the positions recorded in the epitaph of the planisphere. The positions of equinoxes originated from the Han dynasty. The 365 ticks around the boundary of the circle of perpetual invisibility were possibly drawn by segmenting the circumference with an arc length instead of a chord length with the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter as accurate as 3.14 presumed. The 12 equatorial sectors were drawn on the boundary of the star-chart in accordance with the beginning and ending lodge angles given in the epitaph that originated from the Han dynasty. The determinative lines for the 28 lunar lodges were drawn to intersect their determinative stars, but seven determinative stars are deviated. According to the treatises of the Tang dynasty, these anomalies were inherited from charts of the period earlier than the Tang dynasty. Thus, the star chart in Cheonsang-yeolcha-bunyajido preserves the old tradition that had existed before the present Chinese tradition reformed in approximately 700 CE. In conclusion, the star chart in Cheonsang-yeolcha-bunyajido shows the sky of the former Han dynasty with the equator modified to the latitude of Seoul.

In this paper, we report the analysis of Korean historical records on the periodic Halley’s comet according to the period (i.e., the Three Kingdoms, Goryeo Dynasty, and Joseon Dynasty) using various sources such as the Samguksagi (The History of the Three Kingdoms), Goryeosa (The History of the Goryeo Dynasty), and Joseonwangjosillok (The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty). With regards to the apparition time of the comet for each return, we referred to the works of Kronk. For the Three Kingdoms period, we could not find any record relevant to Halley’s comet from the Samguksagi. Furthermore, we examined the suggestion that the phenomenon of “two Suns” which appeared on April 1, 760 (in a luni-solar calendar), as recorded in the Samgukyusa (The Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms), indicates an instance of the the daytime appearance of Halley’s comet. In contrast with the Three Kingdoms period, we found that all returns of Halley’s comet are recorded during the Goryeo Dynasty, although others have questioned some accounts. We also found that the appearance of Halley’s comet in 1145 is mentioned in a spirit-path stele made in 1178. For the Joseon Dynasty period, we found that all apparitions of the comet are recorded, as with the Goryeo Dynasty, except for the return of 1910, at which time the former dynasty had fallen. In conclusion, we think that this study will be helpful for understanding Korean historical accounts on Halley’s comet.

Since Rigollet first discovered a comet in 1939, many follow-up observations have been made, particularly in Europe. It is now known that the Rigollet comet is identical with the one observed by Herschel in 1788, and thus it is now called 35P/1939 O1 or the Herschel-Rigollet comet. Yumi, a Japanese astronomer, also observed the Rigollet comet in Korea using a 6-inch refractor telescope, and published his data in two Japanese journals (Bulletin of the Observatory of the Government-General of Korea and Publication of the Lecture on Meteorology). In his paper, Yumi also referred to observations by Hirose and Kanda in Japan. However, their works have not been given attention by international society. In this study, we analyze the observation data of Yumi and present preliminary orbital elements using it with a modified Gauss method. We expect that this study will be used to refine the orbital elements of the Rigollet comet by orbital-calculation experts. For that reason, we have also transcribed all the observational data presented by Yumi.