Jean-Marc Bonnet-Bidaud

Jean-Marc Bonnet-Bidaud is an astrophysicist and astronomer at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission （CEA） and has participated in a Sino-French cooperative project called SVOM space telescope. He is keen on science popularization and is responsible for the public promotion of CEA astronomy. He was the producer and scientific consultant of the Chinese Astronomical Documentary for the 57th International Art Exhibition Biennale （ARTE 2017）.

This book reviews China’s history of astronomy and its scientific contribution， to pay tribute to Chinese astronomy. The writer takes us back to past dynasties to explore the 4000 years of development of Chinese astronomy.

4，000 Years of Chinese Astronomy

Jean-Marc Bonnet-Bidaud

CITIC Press Group

May 2020

69.00 （CNY）

China， with its long history and splendid culture， has made remarkable contributions to world civilization. Ancient China was also one of the most advanced countries in astronomy. Ancient Chinese people paid close attention to the changes in the sky and attached great importance to practical astronomical activities， such as observation of celestial phenomena and calendar making as early as 4，000 years ago， and developed the cosmological and philosophical thoughts of “Oneness of Heaven and Humanity”.

Astronomy was involved in the government in ancient China， and it was closely related to emperors and imperial courts. Thanks to the centralization of authority in successive dynasties， the development of astronomy had enjoyed long-term and reliable support in organizational， personnel， material， and even legal aspects. That kept it in a leading position. The Royal Observatory in every dynasty had hundreds of scholars. They observed the sky day after day， discovering， tracking， and recording all abnormal celestial phenomena. These celestial observation records are not only sequential in age but also rich in content， and are second to none in the world. These records are not only a precious treasure house of scientific and cultural heritage but also provide a lot of important historical basis for solving and verifying some modern astronomical problems.

This book， written by astrophysicist Jean-Marc Bonnet-Bidaud， reviews China’s history of astronomy and its scientific contribution， to pay tribute to Chinese astronomy. When and where did the ancient Chinese people develop astronomy？ Who were these people and what rigorous scientific methods did they use？ Why were they so concerned about abnormal celestial phenomena？ What astronomical instruments did they use in their observations？ How did they persevere in recording an astonishing number of celestial records？ This book offers brilliant answers to these questions. It takes us back to past dynasties to explore the 4，000 years of development of Chinese astronomy.

Today， modern astronomers know that any change in the sky will reveal unusual cosmic phenomena. For example， gamma-ray bursts that last for a short duration can reveal the dying process of massive stars. The signal is so strong that it is detectable on a cosmic scale. Aside from the rays， the spatial-temporal structure will get distorted because of the merging of black holes or dense stars， and the distortion can reach us in the form of gravitational waves. People now can detect the occurrence of gravitational waves by utilizing a laser interferometer down on Earth.

Today we can learn a lot from passing cosmic phenomena. Exploring these cosmic phenomena is the main goal of a Sino-French cooperative project called SVOM （Space Variable Objects Monitor is a space-based multi-band astronomical variable object monitor） space telescope. The SVOM space telescope， which is scheduled to launch in 2021， will also be the second cooperative project between China and France in space science.

By detecting， locating and accurately recording these passing cosmic phenomena， we can better understand our universe just as astronomers in the Han Dynasty did over 2，000 years ago. Thanks to the SVOM project， China and France can pursue win-win cooperation in paying attention to and exploring abnormal celestial phenomena in the sky， continuing China’s tradition of Precise Observation and Measurement that has lasted for several thousand years. This book offers a very detailed description of the astronomical achievements in Chinese history from the perspective of a European scholar， and is also of great praise to China’s long astronomical tradition.

In 1898， a decisive archaeological discovery unveiled the ancient Shang Dynasty. A primitive counting method at that time became the key to deciphering the ancient astronomical observation records. In the winter of that year， the traces of the earliest ancient Chinese characters were found in a small village near Anyang in Central China’s Henan Province. After a great flood， flowing rainwater made a crack in the land where the villagers found a pile of “bones”. Because of the large quantity， these bones were under suspicion of being the skeleton of a dragon in Chinese mythology. For months， villagers had not disclosed the discovery because they believed that the bones were a miraculous drug that could cure various diseases. They broke the bones and ground them into magical powder before selling them locally.

Fortunately， a Chinese scholar who passed by the area fell ill before the bones were used up. To cure his illness， he bought the so-called “dragon bones”. Because he was interested in the prescription， he wanted to see where the powder came from. By coincidence， he found that these bones were covered with exquisite characters， which were Chinese hieroglyphs called oracle bone script. Oracle bone script was usually carved on the shoulder blades of cattle or tortoise shells. It was the oldest known writing in China and had a history of over 3，000 years. It was a miraculous true treasure.

Presently， about 160，000 pieces of Shang Dynasty oracle bones have been unearthed， and these materials are being used by scholars all over the world as a large library. Oracle bone script is a written language that has been stable for thousands of years and can spread culture and ideas. The structure of some Chinese characters also shows the close relationship between heaven and man. This offered Chinese culture distinct characteristics all along， reflecting the Chinese ancients’ deep understanding of the concept of the universe. In the mind of ancient Chinese， the universe meant “time and space”. This amazing concept developed before the second century BCE. After all， Europe fully understood this concept only after Einstein put forward the theory of relativity.

The shape of the character “月” （yue） in the oracle bone script is a crescent moon， and it later became a square shape. When “月” （yue） and “日” （ri） that are the two bright celestial bodies in the sky come together， the character “明” （ming）， that means “bright light”， was developed. “日” and “月” represent “陽” and “陰” that are the opposing poles in Taoism. Other astronomical terms also indicate the scientific nature of word-making at that time. For example， since Zhou Dynasty， the character “星” （xing） has meant a star. It consisted of the character “日” and “生” （sheng）. This combination probably reflected ancient Chinese’s understanding of the nature of stars. That is， they were glowing celestial bodies like the sun （日）. This is completely in line with how modern people understand them.