Celestial Measurement in Babylonian Astronomy

Late Babylonian astronomical texts contain frequent measurements of the positions of the Moon and planets. These measurements include distances of the Moon or a planet from a reference star and measurements of the position of celestial bodies within a sign of the zodiac. In this paper, I investigate the relationship between these two measurement systems and propose a new understanding of the concepts of celestial longitude and latitude in Babylonian astronomy. I argue that the Babylonians did not define latitude using the ecliptic but instead considered the Moon and each planet to move up or down within its own band as it travelled around the zodiac.     

面向21世纪的我国天文学学科发展与优先重点领域

本文讨论了当前国际天文学研究的发展状况与趋势,在对我国天文学研究的现状、特点和优势分析的基础上,提出了面向21世纪的我国天文学学科发展的方向、优先重点领域和相关政策措施。     

月球探测在21世纪初将成为航天热点之一

本文分析了近年来“月球热”不断升浊斩原因,论述了人类重返月球的重要意义。提出我国应高起点地开展月球探测工作。     

第二次现代化理论与中国现代化

第二次现代化理论认为：人类社会的发展可分为四个,即原始,农业社会,工业社会和知识社会,第一个阶段又分为四个时期,即起步期,发展期,成就期和过渡期;从农业社会向工业社会的转移过程是第一次现代化,从工业社会向知识社会的转移过程是第二次现代化。     

The Lunar Theories of Tycho Brahe and Christian Longomontanus in the Progymnasmata and Astronomia Danica

Tycho Brahe's lunar theory, mostly the work of his assistant Christian Longomontanus, published in the Progymnasmata (1602), was the most advanced and accurate lunar theory yet developed. Its principal innovations are: the introduction of equant motion for the first inequality in order to separate the determination of direction and distance; a more accurate limit for the second inequality although requiring a more complex calculation; additional inequalities of the variation and, in place of the annual inequality in Tycho's earlier theory, a reduction in the equation of time; in the latitude theory a variation of the inclination of the orbital plane and an inequality of the motion of the nodes; a reduction in the range of variation of distance, parallax, and apparent diameter. Some of these were already present in Tycho's earlier lunar theory (1599), but all were changed in notable ways. Twenty years later Longomontanus published a modified version of the lunar theory in Astronomia Danica (1622), for the purpose of facilitating the calculation through new correction tables, and also explained his reasons for parts of the theory in the Progymnasmata. This paper is a technical study of both lunar theories.     

人类社会发展新理论:第二次现代化理论

１９９９年,高等教育出版社出版了中国科学院何传启研究员的专著《第二次现代化》该书提出了人类社会发展新理论－第二次现代化理论,本文介绍了《第二次现代化》和第二次现代化理论,并对《第二次现代化》和《第三次浪潮》作了比较。     

The Regular Records of Solar Eclipse in Ancient China and a Computer Readable Table

There were numerous records of solar eclipse in China from the eighth century BC to the fifteenth century AD. Because these records are concise and formalized, I have arranged 938 items into a computer-readable table called The table of historic Chinese regular records of solar eclipse. In this paper, I explain the structure of the table with a preliminary analysis and statistics of the historical records. To receive the table itself, please request it at liucy@ntsc.ac.cn.Acknowledgments. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 19973012).     

Occurrence of oxalyl-CoA synthetase in Indian pulses

Summary The presence of oxalyl-CoA synthetase was observed in common edible pulses. Excepting in chick pea, the changes in oxalyl-CoA synthetase activity of winter pulses proceeded in stages. The enzyme remained more active in late strains than in early strains of winter pulses. Unlike the activity of the enzyme in winter pulses, that in summer pulses behaved differently.     

The chromosomes of the great Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis L.)

Zusammenfassung Die Chromosomen des indischen Rhinozeros wurden untersucht. Es wurden 82 Chromosomen gefunden, die auch in ihrer Struktur den Chromosomen des afrikanischen Breitmaulnashorns ähnlich sind.

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Supported by a grant from the U.S. Public Health Service, No. GM 10210.