Is This 2,300-Year-Old Star Chart from China the World’s Oldest? Dive into the Debate!

The world’s oldest star chart was made in China over 2,300 years ago, according to a recent study. Researchers from the Chinese National Astronomical Observatories used cutting-edge digital imaging techniques to analyze the “Star Manual of Master Shi.” This method, called Generalized Hough Transform, employs artificial intelligence to correct errors between images.

This study finds that the chart likely dates back to 355 B.C., much earlier than previously thought. It was updated around A.D. 125, making it the oldest known star catalog, predating the famous chart by Greek astronomer Hipparchus by over 200 years.

David Pankenier, a retired professor of Chinese astronomy, called this discovery “pretty definitive.” He noted it backs earlier research by Joseph Needham, a British biochemist who specialized in ancient Chinese achievements. This aligns with the historical timeline of Master Shi Shen, who many believe lived around this period.

However, not all experts are convinced. Discrepancies in the dating of the catalog have puzzled historians, as some measurements seem centuries apart. This is because constellations shift in appearance due to Earth’s wobble over time, and stars also move, leading to different night sky maps across the ages.

The new research suggests these discrepancies arise from copying errors and partial updates, proposing that the initial manuscript was created in the fourth century B.C. and amended inaccurately later. But some historians, like Daniel Morgan, argue these inconsistencies might stem from the original measuring tools being slightly off, which brings the dates back into sync.

Interestingly, Morgan points out that claiming the title of the oldest scientific tool has become a matter of national pride, especially in the last 300 years. Colonialism and Eurocentrism have fostered competition among nations, leading many to downplay non-Western scientific advancements until quite recently.

It’s worth noting that while Chinese and Greek star charts have recently gained attention, Babylonian records from as early as the eighth century B.C. contain star positions. However, these records weren’t organized in catalogs like their Chinese and Greek counterparts.

The preprint of this study is under review at the journal Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics.

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