Shen Kuo Begins Astronomical Observations for the Song Court

1072

The polymath Shen Kuo, appointed to the Song Astronomical Bureau, launched an ambitious program of celestial observation with his colleague Wei Pu: three measurements per night, every night, for five years. Their goal was nothing less than correcting China's star charts and refining calendar calculations to match observed planetary motions. No European astronomer would attempt observations of comparable scope until Tycho Brahe, five centuries later.