Centaurus in Chinese astronomy

The modern constellation '''[[Centaurus (constellation)|Centaurus]]''' lies across two of the quadrants symbolized by the '''[[Azure Dragon|Azure Dragon of the East]]''' (東方青龍, ''Dōng Fāng Qīng Lóng''), the '''[[Vermilion Bird (Chinese constellation)|Vermillion Bird of the South]]''' (南方朱雀, ''Nán Fāng Zhū Què''),<ref>The constellation '''House of Music Instruments''' which is lied in this area were unknown yet</ref> and the '''[[Chinese constellations#The Southern Asterisms (近南極星區)|Southern Asterisms]]''' (近南極星區, ''Jìnnánjíxīngōu'').

According to the quadrant, [[Centaurus (constellation)|Centaurus]] is possibly not fully visible in the Chinese sky. '''[[Beta Centauri|Hadar]]''' (Beta Centauri) is a bright star in this constellation that is possibly never seen in Chinese sky.

The name of the western constellation in modern Chinese is 半人馬座 (''bàn rén mǎ zuò''), meaning "the centaur constellation".

==Stars== The map of Chinese constellation in constellation '''Centaurus''' area consists of: {| class="wikitable" |- !'''Four Symbols''' !'''Mansion (Chinese name)''' !'''Romanization''' !'''Translation''' !'''Asterisms (Chinese name)''' !'''Romanization''' !'''Translation''' !'''Western star name''' !'''Chinese star name''' !'''Romanization''' !'''Translation'''

|- | rowspan="37" | '''[[Azure Dragon|Azure Dragon of the East (東方青龍)]]''' | rowspan="33" |角 | rowspan="33"|''Jiǎo'' | rowspan="33"|[[Horn (Chinese constellation)|Horn]] | rowspan="12" |庫樓 | rowspan="12"|''Kùlóu'' | rowspan="12"|Arsenal |- |[[Zeta Centauri|ζ Cen]]<ref name=sb0>{{in lang|zh}} [http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/2006/0607/ap060725.html AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 25 日] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522124501/http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/2006/0607/ap060725.html |date=2011-05-22 }}</ref>|||庫樓一||Kùlóuyī||1st star |- |[[Eta Centauri|η Cen]]<ref name=sb0/>|||庫樓二||Kùlóuèr||2nd star |- |[[Theta Centauri|θ Cen]]<ref name=sb0/>|||庫樓三||Kùlóusān||3rd star |- |[[2 Centauri|2 Cen]]|||庫樓四||Kùlóusì||4th star |- |[[HD 117440|d Cen]]<ref name=sb10>{{in lang|zh}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20110902003808/http://wbbs.cc.ncku.edu.tw/ccns/index.php/8/179/485635 夢之大地 @ 國立成功大學 WebBBS DreamLand @ National Cheng Kung University WebBBS System]</ref> |||庫樓五||Kùlóuwǔ||5th star |- |[[Xi1 Centauri|ξ1 Cen]]<ref name=sb0/> |||庫樓六||Kùlóuliù||6th star |- |[[Gamma Centauri|γ Cen]]<ref name=sb0/>|||庫樓七||Kùlóuqī||7th star |- |[[Tau Centauri|τ Cen]]<ref name=sb0/>|||庫樓五||Kùlóubā||8th star |- |[[D Centauri|D Cen]]|||庫樓九||Kùlóujiǔ||9th star |- | [[Sigma Centauri|σ Cen]]<ref name=sb0/> |||庫樓十||Kùlóushí||10th star |- | [[Omega Centauri|ω Cen]] |||庫樓增一||Kùlóuzēngyī||1st additional star |- | rowspan="12" |柱 | rowspan="12"|''Zhǔ'' | rowspan="12"|Pillars |- |[[Upsilon2 Centauri|υ2 Cen]]<ref name=sb0/>|||柱一||Zhǔyī||1st star |- |[[Upsilon1 Centauri|υ1 Cen]]<ref name=sb0/>|||柱二||Zhǔèr||2nd star |- |[[V761 Centauri|a Cen]]<ref name="sb10"/> |||柱五||Zhǔwǔ||5th star |- |[[Psi Centauri|ψ Cen]]<ref name=sb0/>|||柱六||Zhǔliù||6th star |- |[[4 Centauri|4 Cen]]|||柱七||Zhǔqī||7th star |- |[[3 Centauri|3 Cen]]|||柱八||Zhǔbā||8th star |- |[[1 Centauri|1 Cen]]|||柱九||Zhǔjiǔ||9th star |- |rowspan="5"|[[Iota Centauri|ι Cen]]<ref name=sb0/> |- ||柱十一||Zhǔshíyī||11th star |- ||库楼西北星||Kùlóuxīběixīng||Star in the northwest of [[Horn (Chinese constellation)|Arsenal]] constellation |- ||库楼距星||Kùlóujùxīng||Separated star of [[Horn (Chinese constellation)|Arsenal]] constellation |- | rowspan="5" |衡 | rowspan="5"|''Héng'' | rowspan="5"|Railing |- |[[Nu Centauri|ν Cen]]<ref name=sb0/>|||衡一 || Héngyī||1st star |- |[[Mu Centauri|μ Cen]]<ref name=sb0/> |||衡二||Héngèr||2nd star |- |[[Phi Centauri|φ Cen]]<ref name=sb0/>|||衡三 || Héngsān||3rd star |- |[[Chi Centauri|χ Cen]]<ref name=sb0/> |||衡四||Héngsì||4th star |- | rowspan="4" |南門 | rowspan="4"|''Nánmén'' | rowspan="4"|Southern Gate |- |[[Epsilon Centauri|ε Cen]]<ref name=sb0/>|||南門一 || Nánményī||1st star |- |[[Alpha Centauri|α Cen]]<ref name=sb0/> |||南門二||Nánménèr||2nd star |- |[[R Centauri|R Cen]] |||南門增一 || Nánménzēngyī||1st additional star |- | rowspan="3" |亢 | rowspan="3"|''Kàng'' | rowspan="3"|[[Neck (Chinese constellation)|Neck]] | rowspan="3" |陽門 | rowspan="3"|''Yángmén'' | rowspan="3"|Gate of ''Yang'' |- |[[HD 129116|b Cen]]<ref name="sb10"/>|||陽門一 || Yángményī||1st star |- |[[HD 129456|c1 Cen]] |||陽門二||Yángménèr||2nd star |- ||氐||''Dī''|||[[Root (Chinese constellation)|Root]]|||騎官||''Qíguān''|||Imperial Guards||[[Kappa Centauri|κ Cen]]<ref name=sb0/>|||騎官三||Qíguānsān||3rd star |- | rowspan="11" | '''-''' | rowspan="11" |近南極星區 (non-mansions) | rowspan="11"|''Jìnnánjíxīngōu'' (non-mansions) | rowspan="11"|[[Chinese constellations#The Southern Asterisms (近南極星區)|The Southern Asterisms]] (non-mansions) |- ||海山||''Hǎishān''|||Sea and Mountain||[[Lambda Centauri|λ Cen]]<ref name=sb1>{{in lang|zh}} [http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/2006/0607/ap060728.html AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 28 日] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513091029/http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/2006/0607/ap060728.html |date=2013-05-13 }}</ref>|||海山五||Hǎishānwu||5th star |- | rowspan="6" |馬尾 | rowspan="6"|''Mǎwěi'' | rowspan="6"|Horse's Tail |- |[[G Centauri|G Cen]]|||馬尾一 ||Mǎwěiyī||1st star |- |[[Rho Centauri|ρ Cen]]<ref name=sb2>{{in lang|zh}} [http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/2006/0607/ap060729.html AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 29 日] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522124325/http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/2006/0607/ap060729.html |date=2011-05-22 }}</ref> |||馬尾二||Mǎwěièr||2nd star |- | rowspan="3"|[[Delta Centauri|δ Cen]]<ref name=sb2/> |- ||馬尾三||Mǎwěisān||3rd star |- ||水府西星||Shuǐfǔxīxīng||Star in the west of [[Well (Chinese constellation)|Irrigation Official]] constellation |- | rowspan="3" |馬腹 | rowspan="3"|''Mǎfù'' | rowspan="3"|Horse's Abdomen |- |[[Beta Centauri|β Cen]]<ref name=sb2/>|||馬腹一||Mǎfùyī||1st star |- |[[HD 116243]]|||馬腹二||Mǎfùèr||2nd star |}

==See also== *[[Traditional Chinese star names]] *[[Chinese constellations]] *[[List of brightest stars]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/centaurus.html#chinese Centaurus – Chinese associations] * [http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Space/ 香港太空館][https://web.archive.org/web/20120813070951/http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Space/Research/c_index.htm 研究資源] ** [https://web.archive.org/web/20120712132630/http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Space/Research/StarName/c_research_chinengstarzone_b.htm 中國星區、星官及星名英譯表] ** [https://web.archive.org/web/20121002051949/http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Space/Research/Literature/c_research_literature.htm 天象文學] * [http://www.nmns.edu.tw/ 台灣自然科學博物館][http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/ 天文教育資訊網] ** [https://web.archive.org/web/20090120043712/http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/aeea/contents_list/ancient_chinese_astronomy.html 中國古天文] ** [https://web.archive.org/web/20120116230802/http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/aeea/contents_list/star_sign.html 中國古代的星象系統]

[[Category:Astronomy in China]] [[Category:Centaurus]]