Today's Image

Moontrail over Beijing’s Forbidden City

Posted by
Deborah Byrd
and
December 12, 2016
Startrails over the Forbidden City, December 6, 2016. Photo by Jeff Dai.
Photo by Jeff Dai of The World at Night on Facebook, December 6, 2016.

Jeff Dai, who has contributed many wonderful photos to EarthSky, wrote:

I’m living at Beijing now. The capital city of China is amazing without haze. Yesterday [December 6], I shot at Jiaolou Tower in the Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City, a world heritage site today, served as the home of emperors and their households, and was the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government, for almost 500 years.

Moon and Mars over the Forbidden City, December 6, 2016. Photo by Jeff Dai.
Moon and Mars over the Forbidden City, December 6, 2016. Moon and Mars appear on the right, Venus is in the middle and Fomalhaut – a bright star in the constellation Picis Austrians – trails through the Jiaolou Tower. Photo by Jeff Dai of The World at Night on Facebook.
The (Purple) Forbidden City is a name with significance on ancient Chinese astronomy. Purple refers to the North Star which in ancient China was called the Ziwei Star, and in traditional Chinese astrology was the heavenly abode of the Celestial Emperor.
Jeff Dai explained: “The (Purple) Forbidden City is a name with significance on ancient Chinese astronomy. Purple refers to the North Star which in ancient China was called the Ziwei Star, and in traditional Chinese astrology was the heavenly abode of the Celestial Emperor. The surrounding celestial region, the Purple Forbidden Enclosure was the realm of the Celestial Emperor and his family. Even the inside structure of forbidden city was built based on the Purple Forbidden Enclosure in the night sky.” Image copyright Xu Gang.
But Jiaolou tower make some difference, it was regarded as the guard of forbidden city. It was named by the stars of Horn (Spica), which is the first star of Azure Dragon of the East.
Jeff also said: “Jiaolou Tower was regarded as the guard of the Forbidden City. It was named by the stars of Horn (Spica), which is the first star of Azure Dragon of the East.” Image copyright Xu Gang.

See an ancient Chinese map of Earth’s northern sky, part of the Dunhuang Star Atlas, from APOD

Chinese constellations, from Wikipedia

How can I capture star trails?

Posted 
December 12, 2016
 in 
Today's Image

Deborah Byrd

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About the Author:
Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.

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