Adapting and accepting the European astronomical system: A study of the mistakes in the calculation of eclipses using the Western methods in late Ming and early Qing China

Abstract

European astronomy was used to reform the calendar with the assistance of the Jesuits in late Ming China and became the official astronomical system in the early Qing dynasty. However, the process of widespread recognition and application of the European astronomical system was not smooth but full of obstacles. Taking the eclipse prediction, one of the focal points of attention at that time, as an entry point, this article reveals the relevant historical details by discussing the mistakes that occurred in the calculation of eclipses by the Western methods. Firstly, the mistake in the process of predicting the solar eclipse in the 7th year of the Chongzhen 崇禎 reign had a bad impact on the official adoption of the Western methods. Besides some reasons discussed by previous scholars, the serious consequences should be also related to the unconvincing explanation given by the Jesuits for the cause of this mistake. Secondly, the mistakes in the calculation of eclipses by the Western methods during the Chongzhen reign (r. 1628–1644) were not isolated incidents. Their occurrence was inseparable from human factors such as carelessness. But the root cause actually laid in the fact that the European astronomical system was adopted in the calculation process, while some of the eclipse prediction results were presented in the form of traditional Chinese astronomical system. Until the late period of Kangxi 康熙 reign (r. 1662–1722), with the gradual application of the European astronomical systems in both eclipse calculation processes and prediction results, as well as the improvement of eclipse calculation processes to reduce the influence of human factors, the mistakes in eclipse calculations by the Western methods were basically eliminated or almost completely avoided.