Astronomical dating system

Using self-designed instruments, he proposed that the year was 365.24281481 days long, a measurement that is less than a minute different from modern measurements.

He used this to design the Daming calendar, the most accurate lunisolar calendar available at that time.

The astronomer Shi-Shen (4th Century BCE) is believed to have cataloged 809 stars in 122 constellations, although he took little interest in the planets, unlike the Greeks and Mesopotamians.

They attempted to catalog every single star, defining their constellations by one major star, called the king, and surrounding it with princes.It is also stated that he built a great observatory and planetarium to help with accurate observations, although this is largely built upon tradition rather than hard evidence.In order to mark the passage of time and the seasons, the Chinese primarily used the orientation of the Big Dipper constellation relative to the pole star in early evening.As the astronomers began to chart regular events, such as lunar eclipses, these were removed from the realm of astrologers, who Emperors consulted before every major decision.As a result, the Chinese developed an extensive system of the zodiac designed to help guide the life of people on Earth.