Flying serpent (asterism)

Flying Serpent (Tengshe 螣蛇) is an asterism (name for a group of stars) in the constellation "Encampment" (Shixiu 室宿) in the Chinese constellation system. It is named after the mythological serpent, tengshe.[1]

The Tengshe asterism was a group of "22 stars, occurring in the northern [part] of the "Encampment" (室) constellation, [representing; or comprising the figure of] the Heavenly Snake, chief of the water reptiles", according to the treatise on astronomy in the Book of Jin (Jin Shu).[2][3]

The Tengshe coincides with the lizard constellation Lacerta,[1] and the northern parts of Lacerta occupy the center of Tengshe.[4]

References
  1. Sun, Xiaochun [in Chinese]; Kistemaker, Jacob (2021). The Chinese Sky during the Han: Constellating Stars and Society. BRILL. p. 150. ISBN 9789004488755.
  2. Jinshu (Tianwenzhi 1) 晉書（天文志 1） [Book of Jin (Treatise on Astronomy 1)]. Vol. 11. 1903 [420] – via Wikisource. 腾蛇二十二星，在营室北，天蛇也，主水虫。
  3. Chen Menglei, ed. (1726). "Tengshe" 騰蛇. Qinding Gujin Tushu Jicheng 欽定古今圖書集成 – via Wikisource.
  4. Hislop, Susanna (2015). "Lacerta". Stories in the Stars: An Atlas of Constellations. Hannah Waldron (illustr.). Penguin. ISBN 9780698197909.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.