• 천문학논총
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.31-44
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• 2018

Song, I-Yeong (1619 ~ ?) was an active astronomer in the Joseon dynasty at the era of adopting the Shixian-li, Chinese calendar in Qing dynasty. His astronomical contribution was recorded in Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, Diary of the Royal Secretariat, Comparative Review of Records and Documents-Its Revision and Enlargement, and Treatise on the Bureau of Astronomy. In addition the details on his life and works were found at the genealogies of the Song Family from Yeonan and the Kim Family from Seonsan. His major astronomical activities can be summarized in three items. First, as a specialist astronomer, he has attempted to make a systematic observation of two comets. Second, he designed and fabricated the Jamyeong-jong, the weight-powered armillary clock, which became a typical model of the astronomical clock in the Joseon dynasty. Last, he served as a royal astronomical professor, greatly contributing on implementing the Shixian-li. Song has concentrated on performing astronomical duties for his royal official service time. Song is regarded as an important astronomer who made it possible to enforce the Shixian-li until the late Joseon dynasty.

• 천문학논총
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.367-380
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• 2017

The life and astronomical activity of Lee Deok-Seong (李德星, 1720-1794) was studied using various historical sources, including the astronomical almanac, Seungjeongwon-Ilgi (Daily records of Royal Secretariat of Joseon dynasty), and the Gwansang-Gam's logbooks during Joseon dynasty (A.D. 1392-1910). We present the results of the study including the following main findings. First, from the investigation of Lee's family tree, we find that a number of his relatives were also astronomers, notably Samryeok-Gwan (三曆官, the post of calendrical calculation). Second, we find that he took part in the compilation of an annual astronomical almanac over a period of at least 16 years. His major achievements in the astronomy of the Joseon dynasty were to establish a new method of calendar-making calculation and to bring astronomical materials to the Joseon court through a visit to China. The Joseon dynasty enforced the Shixianli (時憲曆, a Chinese calendar made by Adam Shall) in 1654 without fully understanding the calendar. So an astronomer and an envoy were dispatched to China in order to master the intricacies of the calendar and to learn as much of Western science as was available in that time and place. Lee Deok-Seong worked at the Gwansang-Gam (觀象監, Royal Astronomical Bureau) during the reigns of King Yeongjo (英祖) and Jeongjo (正祖). As best as we can ascertain in relation with the calculations in the Shixian calendar, Lee visited China four times. During his trips and interactions, he learned a new method for calendar-making calculations, and introduced many Western-Chinese astronomical books to Joseon academia. Lee greatly improved the accuracy of calendrical calculations, even while simplifying the calculation process. With these achievements, he finally was promoted to the title of Sungrok-Daebu (崇祿大夫), the third highest grade of royal official. In conclusion, history demonstrates that Lee Deok-Seong was one of the most outstanding astronomers in the late-Joseon dynasty.

• 천문학회보
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.85.2-85.2
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• 2014

The origin of the Korean Screen Planisphere with both Traditional and New Star-Charts, made by Korean Astronomers in the Royal Astronomical Bureau of the Joseon Dynasty by adopting the knowledge of the European astronomy, is investigated by analyzing its inscriptions and star charts. The considerations on both the changes in notations or representations of names of asterisms and the naming taboos used in the Old-style planisphere imply that the star-chart is originated from either the Sukjong-Stele-Replica of Cheonsang-Yeolcha-Punyajido(天象列次分野之圖). The New style planisphere is just the reproduction of Huangdao-congxingtu (黃道總星圖), with the exception of the non-Chinese-traditional stars. The Huangdao-congxingtu was made in 1723 CE by Ignatius K$\ddot{o}$gler who was a Jesuit missionary and worked for the Bureau of Astronomy (欽天監) in the Qing Dyansty. I find that the star chart was imported in 1742 CE from the Qing by An Gukrin (安國麟) who was an astronomer in the Royal Astronomical Bureau of Joseon. The chart became model for the screen star-chart made in 1743 CE and now housed in Bopju temple. I found that the inscriptions are extracted from the sentences in both Xinzhi Lingtai Yixiangzhi (新製靈臺儀象志) and Qinding Yixiangkaocheng (欽定儀象考成). Korean historical records in either Daily Records of the Royal Secretariat of the Joseon Dynasty (承政院日記) or Annals of the Joseonn Dynasty (朝鮮王朝實錄) show that Xinzhi Lingtai-Yixiangzhi was imported from the Qing Dynasty in 1708 CE, and the Qinding Yixiangkaocheng was imported in 1766 CE. Thus, the Korean Screen Planisphere with both Old and New Star-charts was certainly made after 1766 CE.

• 천문학회보
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• 제43권2호
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• pp.48.4-49
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• 2018

We studyed an Korean astrolabe made by Ryu Geum (1741~1788), the late Joseon Confucian scholar. It has a diameter of 17 cm and a thickness of 6 mm and is now owned by Museum of Silhak. In the 1267 of the reign of Kublai Khan of Mogol Empire, Jamal al Din, an Ilkhanate astronomer, present an astrolabe to his emperor together with 6 astronomical instruments. In 1525, an astrolabe was first made in Korea by Lee, Sun (李純, ?~?), a Korean astronomer and royal official of Joseon Dynasty. He was referred to Gexiang xinshu, a Mongloian-Chinese book by Zhao, Youqin (1280-1345), an astronomer of Mongolian Empire. This astrolabe has not been left. In the mid-17th century, an astrolabe was introduced to Joseon again through Hungai tongxian tushuo (渾蓋 通憲圖設) edited by Chinese Mathematician Li Zhi-zao (李之藻, 1565~1630), that originated from Astrolabium (1593) of Christoph Clavius (1538-1612). It seems that Ryu refered to Hungai tongxian tushuo which affect to Hongae-tongheon-ui (渾蓋通憲儀) edited by Nam, Byeong-Cheol (南秉哲, 1817~1863). We analysis lots of circles on the mother and a set of index from the rete of of Ryu's astrolabe. We find that the accuracy of circles has about 0.2~0.4 mm in average if the latitude of this astrolabe is 38 degrees. 11 indices of the rete point bright stars of the northern and southern celestial hemisphere. Their tip's accuracies are about $2^{\circ}.9{\pm}3^{\circ}.2$ and $2^{\circ}.3{\pm}2^{\circ}.8$ on right ascension and declination of stars respectively.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.589-602
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• 2009

조선(朝鮮)의 보천가(步天歌) 가운데 가장 나중인 1862년에 간행된 신법보천가(新法步天歌)를 연구하였다. 청(淸)에서 들어온 신법천문학(新法天文學)의 영향으로 구도보천가(舊圖步天歌)의 성도(星圖)만을 고쳐서 새로 신도보천가(新圖步天歌)를 간행하였다. 그러나 옛 가결(歌訣)이 새로운 성도(星圖)와 맞지 않았고, 이에 따라 천문학자를 뽑는 과거 시험에 혼란이 일어났다. 이것을 극복하고자 조선(朝鮮)의 관상감(觀象監)은, 1845년에 청(淸)에서 간행된 흠정의상고성속편(欽定儀象考成續編)의 권(卷)3인 성도보천가(星圖步天歌)를 전재하고 주석을 달아, 1862년에 신법보천가(新法步天歌)를 출간하였다. 이 책은 중인(中人)인 이준양(李俊養)이 편찬하고 토대부(土大夫)인 남병길(南秉吉)이 교정(校正)하였다. 우리는 이준양(李俊養)의 열대기를 처음으로 재구성하였다. 신법보천가(新法步天歌)에는 기존의 조선(朝鮮) 보천가(步天歌)들이 갖는 특정을 유지하려는 노력이 엿보인다. 즉, 각 숙(宿)의 제목이 기존의 형식을 따르고 있고, 또한 기존의 조선(朝鮮) 보천가(步天歌)들에 천하기몰(天河起沒)이 있음을 의식하고 흠정의상고성속편(欽定儀象考成續編)의 권(卷)31과 권(卷)32의 천한적도경위도표(天漢赤道經緯度表)를 바탕으로 천한계도(天漢界度)를 저술하였다.