Five-Star Aggregation and Research on the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties

Author: Xu Zhen Tao
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The five stars refer to the five planets that can be easily seen with the naked eye in the night sky—Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn. Our ancestors in ancient China were already familiar with them as early as the Shang Dynasty's oracle bone script era. Through long-term observation and research, they gradually mastered the movement patterns of these planets. Each of the five planets orbits the Sun in a periodic revolution, causing their positions to change continuously against the backdrop of the starry sky. Sometimes, the five planets gather very close together, appearing like a string of pearls or a crescent moon, creating a spectacular sight. This special celestial phenomenon is known as the conjunction of the five stars in astronomy. Since the conjunction of the five stars occurs rarely, it has attracted special attention. Historically, it was regarded as a sign of good fortune, which is why records of such events are continuously documented in historical chronicles. Through precise calculations using modern astronomy, the exact times of these celestial events can be traced back, helping to resolve certain difficulties in historical chronology, particularly in the dating of ancient history before the Republican period of the Western Zhou Dynasty. This book systematically discusses three aspects: ① The systematic observation of the five stars in ancient China, and the diligent search, collation, and selection from the vast historical classics to compile a comprehensive table of records of the conjunction of the five stars in ancient China; ② The periodic motion of the five stars and the laws of their conjunction, while also elucidating the principles and calculation methods of the conjunction of the five stars with the help of modern astronomical theory; ③ The relationship between records of the conjunction of the five stars and major historical eras, and by calculating the absolute dates of these celestial events using records from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, providing important references for the Xia-Shang-Zhou chronological project.