Dunhuang star chart. This Chinese scroll map depicting the night sky is the oldest known star atlas. It is thought to date to the 8th Century. It is d

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Dunhuang star chart. This Chinese scroll map depicting the night sky is the oldest known star atlas. It is thought to date to the 8th Century. It is divided into 12 sections according to the stations of the planet Jupiter. It shows 1345 stars in 257 constellations with remarkable accuracy. The map was found, along with thousands of other manuscripts, in a cave in Dunhuang, China at the beginning of the 20th century.

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Size: 27646px × 1979px
Photo credit: © BRITISH LIBRARY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 700s, 8th, ancient, artwork, asterisms, astronomical, astronomy, atlas, century, chart, china, chinese, constellations, document, dunhuang, dynasty, hemisphere, historical, history, illustration, manuscript, map, night, northern, scroll, sky, star, stars, tang