Sunday, February 19, 2023

Star map on an ancient Chinese coin.

 


4 comments:

  1. Did they give an approximate year for this coin (even if it's an estimate)?

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  2. Love to hear the date (if pos) and why Venus? or why just Venus? Badass coin none the less.

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  3. I found the answer on the internet. It said, "The Chinese astronomy coin was found in the city of Xian in 1987 when an ancient tomb (from around 25 BC) dating back to the Han Dynasty was excavated."

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  4. Here is the answer about Venus:

    "The two lines in the middle of the coin represent the Milky Way, which ancient Chinese astronomers called the “Silver River” due to its glow. Consequently, you can see depictions of several constellations and stars like Vega, Altair, Big Dipper, and Sagittarius. However, you may wonder why Venus has been illustrated twice on this Chinese coin – once on the West, and once on the South-East region. The explanation is quite simple. The ancient Chinese astronomers referred to Venus differently, depending on where it lays in the sky during the year. For example, Venus could be seen in the Western sky during the winter months of the year, and this is why it has also been illustrated near the West cardinal direction on the Chinese coin."

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