Kao

Kao

Gao Pingzi (1888.12.23 ～ 1970.3.23) was originally named Jun, a group of characters. Because he admired Zhang Heng, an astronomer of the Eastern Han Dynasty, he called himself Pingzi. He was born in Jinshan District of Shanghai. He is one of the pioneers of Chinese history of science. In 1904, he was admitted to Shanghai Sinian University. After graduation, he devoted himself to the study of astronomy and once taught in the University of Sinian. Later, he devoted himself to the study of astronomy and published an article named "the circumpolar satellite of Zhoubi". He calculated the correct position of the Polaris in the Zhou Dynasty by precise demonstration, which aroused great attention in the academic circles. Gao Pingzi was also an active figure in Nanshe, the most famous literary organization in China at that time. He had the first-class knowledge of Chinese culture and French. He used Chinese ancient poetry to translate the French writer Hugo's love poem "to bi Shu", which was published in newspapers and widely spread in society.

In 1983, the 18th Congress of the International Astronomical Union was held in Greece. The Congress adopted a resolution that a crater at 87.6 degrees east longitude and 6.7 degrees south latitude on the front of the moon should be named gaopingzi crater.

Life of the characters

In December 1888, he was born in Zhangyan Town, Jinshan County, Jiangsu Province (now Jinshan District, Shanghai). He was born in a scholarly family. His father Gao Huang was a Juren in the late Qing Dynasty, and his uncle Gao chuiwan was a resident of Nanshe. He was fond of reading when he was a child. At the age of 6, he studied in a family school with outstanding academic achievements.

In 1904, Gao Pingzi was admitted to Shanghai Sinian University (Sinian University) and studied French and Latin. He studied hard for 8 years and got a Bachelor of Science degree.

In 1912, after graduation, he studied at his own expense at Shanghai Sheshan Observatory, which is run by the French. He studied modern astronomical theory and observation technology. Under the guidance of the director of the station, father Cai Shangzhi, he has made visual and photographic observations of sunspots, double star clusters, comets, etc., made photographic positioning of asteroids, and calculated the general perturbation of small star clusters.

In 1914, Gao Pingzi left Sheshan Observatory and became a professor of astrology at Sinian University. Later, he returned home to study Gu's astronomical calendar.

In 1923, he published the research on Zhoubi's north pole, and he calculated the correct position of the Zhou Dynasty's north pole star with precise argument, which aroused great attention in the academic circles.

In 1924, Gao Pingzi went to Qingdao with director Jiang Bingran to take over the Chinese government's takeover of the Qingdao Observatory, which was occupied by Japan, making it the only astronomical institution managed by the Chinese at that time. Gao Pingzi, as the chief of the astronomy and magnetism section, carried out the business work, repaired and installed the astronomical instruments, trained the observers, and carried out the work of time measurement and time service.

In 1925, it created the modern sunspot observation and research for China, and created a special ruler plate which can directly measure the sunspot area without complicated calculation. It also created a simple method to determine the longitude and latitude of sunspot surface, which filled the blank of modern sunspot observation and research in China. This achievement has been affirmed by colleagues, making Qingdao the birthplace of modern sunspot observation in China, which has a positive impact on the work.

In 1926, he took part in the first international joint radio longitude survey and obtained the first batch of modern longitude values for China. This is the beginning of Chinese astronomers participating in the international joint astronomical observation. Gao Pingzi represented China in the first world longitude survey conference. He was the first Chinese astronomer to participate in the international joint astronomical survey, and obtained the first batch of modern longitude values for China. Since then, the Chinese astronomical circles have started international cooperation among their peers. In this work, Gao Pingzi has made his own contribution. Today, there is a "monument of longitude measurement of all nations" on the Qingdao Observatory, which is engraved with his name.

In 1928, Gao Pingzi was employed as a researcher in the Institute of astronomy of Academia Sinica. He measured the longitude and latitude of the Institute of astronomy in Nanjing, Lushan, Dengfeng Observatory in Henan and other places. In the following year, the Institute began to carry out sunspot, spot and other solar surface activities, and was the founder of China's solar spectroscopic observation work. He assisted Yu Qingsong in preparing for the establishment of Zijinshan Observatory and was in charge of solar spectroscopic observation. He served as the general manager of the cosmos magazine founded by the Chinese Astronomical Society.

In April 1931, he resigned from the position of chief of magnetic section of Qingdao Observatory and was employed as honorary consultant of Qingdao Observatory in June.

In 1935, on behalf of the Chinese Astronomical Society, he attended the Fifth Congress of the International Astronomical Union in Paris. At the meeting, China was absorbed as a full member of the International Astronomical Union. After returning to China, he engaged in solar observation and research, and edited the national calendar and astronomical calendar.

In 1936, through the painstaking study of Chinese astronomy and calendar, he published Shi RI Chang Bian. He also presided over the compilation of Chinese astronomical calendar and national calendar.

In 1937, he and Dong Zuobin investigated the Zhougong scenery observation platform in Henan Province, measured the longitude and latitude, made a systematic textual research on the ancient guibiao shadow measurement, and wrote the theory of guibiao scenery measurement, which was regarded as a valuable work by the academic circles at home and abroad. In September, he founded Zhangyan Punan middle school (now Shanghai Zhangyan middle school) together with local gentry and served as the chairman of the board of directors of the school.

In 1945, when the Anti Japanese war broke out, he stayed away from the Shanghai concession, waited for his relatives to recuperate, studied Chinese ancient astronomy, and refused to serve the Japanese.

In 1948, he moved to Taiwan and served as a researcher in the Institute of mathematics of the Taipei Academia Sinica, technical director of the Taiwan Meteorological Institute, President of the Chinese Astronomical Society, Professor of Central University and professor of the Chung Cheng Institute of technology. He presided over the compilation of the astronomical lunar calendar and the National calendar and assisted in the creation of the Taipei Yuanshan observatory. There are 139 notes to the book of official records.

On March 23, 1970, Gao Pingzi died of illness in Taiwan. Chiang Kai Shek presented an elegy of "learning from others and learning from others". In view of his achievements in astronomy, the 18th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union adopted a resolution in 1983: a crater under the moon at 87 ° 8 E and 6 ° 7 s was named gaopingzi crater.

Character evaluation

Gao Pingzi not only made brilliant achievements in astronomy, but also made great contributions to the social and cultural undertakings of his hometown. In September 1937, he founded Zhangyan Punan middle school (now Shanghai Zhangyan middle school) together with local gentry and served as the chairman of the board of directors of the school.

In Taiwan, he is a highly respected academic leader. He helped to set up the Taipei Yuanshan Observatory, initiated the establishment of the Taiwan astronomical society, and served as president for many years.

Publishing works

Gao Pingzi was mainly engaged in the collation and research of ancient Chinese astronomy and calendar. He published more than 100 papers on astronomy and calendar research, most of which were later included in the two books "academic essays" and "Pingzi's remaining works" published in the late 1960s. He has published more than 100 academic papers, including tianguanshu Jinzhu, taiyangtu Shuo, the collation of the five-star footwork of the Han calendar, academic essays, Shi Richang Bian, biography of Newton, biography of Galileo, etc. He presided over the compilation of the national calendar, and his research on the history of Chinese astronomy was highly praised.

Related events

Crater

In 1982, the Committee on planetary system nomenclature of the International Astronomical Union named a crater at 87.8 E and 6.7 s on the front of the moon after him, becoming the only Chinese modern astronomer to keep his name on the moon.

Postmark error

On December 23, 1988, Zhonghua Post issued the Centennial postmark of Gao Pingzi's birth. Due to the negligence of the cartographers, they mistakenly engraved the portrait of Dai Chuanxian, which was to be stamped on January 4, 1989. When the postmen found the mistake, they immediately took back the postmark on the same day. A small number of envelopes with the wrong postmark have been regarded as treasures by stamp collectors. The centenary postmark of Gao Pingzi's birth was four days late and was used on December 27. As a result, the date of Gao Pingzi's centenary was wrong again.

Chinese PinYin : Gao Ping Zi