Today, Small Full.
Xiao Man, the eighth of the twenty-four solar terms,
It is the second solar term of summer.
The arrival of Xiao Man marks the debut of the hot summer.
Where did the name Xiaoman come from?
The twenty-four solar terms are known to the international meteorological community
"China's fifth greatest invention" in the system of time
What is the knowledge?
The third issue of "Knowing" takes you to a plate
First of all
Who is Xiao Man? What does it have to do with Tai Man?
Stargazing, sense of providence, know the solar terms
Astrological studies are the source of the twenty-four solar terms, and the observation of celestial phenomena in ancient China began very early.
The solar terms were originally formulated according to the position change of the "bucket handle" of the seven stars of the Big Dipper, that is, the ancient astrologists called "bucket to star shift", using the different directions of the big dipper seven stars in the sky in the northern hemisphere to distinguish the four seasons, the bucket handle refers to the east, the world is spring; the bucket handle guide, the world is summer; the bucket handle refers to the west, the world is autumn; the bucket handle refers to the north, and the world is winter.
Schematic diagram of the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper, in order: alkaid, kaiyang (mizar), alioth, megrez, phecda, merak, dubhe (source: nasa)
The reason for the shift of the bucket is that the Earth orbits the Sun. The current twenty-four solar terms, from the 1645 AD Book of the Constitutional Calendar, divide the solar terms according to their position on the ecliptic (the solar anniversary depending on the route).
The Earth orbits the Sun at 360 degrees, dividing the entire orbit into 24 equal parts, and every 15 degrees of the Sun's orbit on the ecliptic is a solar term.
Schematic diagram of the division of solar terms. (Source: China Weather Network)
It is worth mentioning that the book "Shi Xian Calendar" was mainly compiled by the German missionary John Tang, and the twenty-four solar calendars we use today are also the product of the fusion of Chinese and Western astronomical knowledge.
Taking the earth as a reference, the twenty-four solar terms are determined according to the rhythm of the sun's operation, and the internationally accepted Gregorian calendar (a kind of solar calendar) is also based on the earth's orbit around the sun, so the date of the twenty-four solar terms in the Gregorian calendar is relatively fixed, the difference is only one or two days.
Twenty-four solar terms schedule. (Source: China Meteorological Administration website)
The small full is between May 20 and 22 in the Gregorian calendar, when the position of the sun reaches 60 degrees of the ecliptic longitude (longitude in the ecliptic coordinate system). The time of the arrival of the solar terms is also measured and stipulated by strict astronomical standards, and this year's (2021) small full is today (May 21) 3:36:58, perhaps you are still asleep.
Phenologically shifting grains are not ripe rivers full
The twenty-four solar terms are not only closely related to the evolution of the seasons in the astronomical calendar, but also correspond to various phenological and agricultural phenomena in traditional experience. The twenty-four solar terms originated in the Yellow River Basin, the birthplace of Chinese farming culture.
In the middle reaches of the Yellow River, 4,000 years ago, archaeologists found a scaled ruler, which proves that the wise ancients learned to use the method of measuring the sun by the gui table at that time, accurately understood the periodicity of the annual shadow change, so as to grasp the climate law and rationally arrange agricultural activities.
Schematic diagram of the principle of meter measurement. By continuously observing the changes in the shadow of the sun throughout the year, the ancestors discovered the winter solstice day with the longest shadow and the shortest summer solstice day with the shadow. (Source: Central Committee of the Communist Youth League)
The meaning of small full is related to the phenological changes, the seeds of summer ripe crops begin to be filled and full, but they are not yet ripe, only "small full"; at the same time, the small full solar terms also mean that they will enter the rainy season of heavy precipitation, and the amount of water in the rivers is gradually enriched, and the "full" is used to describe the surplus and shortage of rainwater.
Small full of illustrations. (Source: China Meteorological Science Popularization Network)
In addition, in ancient China, Xiao man was divided into three waits: "one waiting for the bitter vegetable show; the second waiting for the death of the grass; and the third waiting for the autumn solstice." "This means that in the small full solar terms, the branches of bitter vegetables flourish; some of the soft grasses that love yin begin to die in the strong sun; and the wheat begins to ripen."
Small full dish. (Source: People's Daily News)
However, the relationship between the twenty-four solar terms and phenology that originated in the Yellow River Basin is more suitable for the Central Plains, because in addition to the solar cycle, geographical location is also an important factor affecting the weather, for example, in our country, the "Spring" time is unified, but the difference between the north and the south "spring" time is not small.
The ancient Chinese people's imagination and exploration of the mysteries of the universe have never stopped, and gradually deduced a set of vivid and profound stargazing culture, through thousands of years, together with the delicate perception of natural things and daily life, telling us about the constantly refined time scale.
Everything is "small enough to be full." At this time, enjoy a little fullness.
(Source: China Meteorological Science Popularization Network)
Main sources:
Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Meteorological Administration website, Xinhua News Agency
Key References:
Yu Miao. The Wisdom of the Ancients Asking Heaven: Twenty-Four Solar Terms[j].Knowledge of Literature and History, 2017(05):3-11.
Zheng Yan. Twenty-four solar terms to explore the source[j].Folk Culture Forum, 2017(01):5-12.
LIU Xiaofeng. The formation process of the twenty-four solar terms[j].Cultural Heritage, 2017(02):1-7+157.
Fujian Daily New Fujian client knows the studio
Source: Fujian Daily