USTC LECTURES ON ASTRONOMICAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE NO.3

Rethinking The Early Dissemination of Copernican Theory in China

In Memory of the 550th Anniversary of the Birth of Nicolaus Copernicus

中科大天文学历史与遗产系列讲座（三）｜哥白尼学说在中国早期传播的再思考——纪念尼古拉·哥白尼诞辰550周年

Lecture Abstract

    In this lecture I will begin by reviewing the basic facts that historians knew by 1973 about the early dissemination of the Copernican system in China. Then, I will report the new discoveries and developments that researchers in the field have achieved ever since. Finally, I will present a discussion on the issue why the heliocentric theory was not adopted in the three major reforms of official system of astronomy dominated by the Jesuit astronomers. My emphasis will be put on the role played by those “big” Jesuit astronomers and theologians in this process, which was persistent all the way from the very beginning to the first half of the 18th century when new astronomy had already taken deep root in Europe and the Jesuit astronomers in China had already known for long that the Tychonic system had been outdated for a long time since its first adoption by the Qing dynasty in 1644.

Lecturer

Shi Yunli

Time

14:00--16:00 (GMT+8), 18 February 2023

Webinar Information

Zoom Webinar ID:894 0308 4629

Passcode: 366983

Link：https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89403084629?pwd=OWl0Q0k5M3dJWjJITVlQcG5jcjJSUT09