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Astronomy updates for feng shui calculations
Xia Calendar
Spring begins when ecliptic longitude is at 315 degrees. However, if you look at a current readout of ecliptic longitude you realize that some dates on the calendar need updating for ecliptic precession.
Here are the Xia calendar dates in agreement with 2009 astronomy, based on calculations for 18:00 (6 pm), because Chinese astronomers typically made observations at sundown.
| Ecliptic Longitude | Date | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| 315 | Feb 4 | Beginning of spring |
| 330 | Feb 18 | Rains |
| 345 | Mar 5 | Awakening insects |
| 360 | Mar 20 | The vernal equinox occurs 11:44 UTC |
| 15 | April 5 | Clear brightness |
| 45 | May 5 | Grain rice |
| 60 | May 21 | Small harvest |
| 75 | June 5 | Seed planting |
| 90 | June 21 | The summer solstice occurs 0:45 UTC |
| 105 | July 7 | Minor heat — aphelion on July 6, 02:00 UTC |
| 120 | July 23 | Major heat |
| 135 | Aug 7 | Beginning of autumn (Chinese seasons) |
| 150 | Aug 23 | Limit of heat |
| 165 | Sept 7 | White dew |
| 180 | Sept 23 | Central division of autum (Chinese seasons) — autumnal equinox occurs at 21:18 UTC on Sept 22 |
| 195 | Oct 8 | Cold dew |
| 210 | Oct 23 | Descent of frost |
| 225 | Nov 7 | Start of winter (Chinese seasons) |
| 240 | Nov 22 | Minor snow |
| 255 | Dec 7 | Major snow |
| 270 | Dec 22 | Winter extreme (Chinese seasons)— solstice occurs 17:47 UTC on Dec 21 |
| 285 | Jan 5 | Minor cold — perhelion15:00 UTC on Jan 4 |
| 300 | Jan 20 | Major cold |
Jieqi
The jieqi should also follow the astronomical year, as they are the "solar nodes." Here is a list of the jieqi according to 2009 astronomical calculations for 18:00 (6 pm).
| Ecliptic Longitude | Chinese Month | Calendar Date | Astronomical Star Marker (Cardinal Direction) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 330 | 1 | Feb 18 | |
| 360 | 2 | March 20 | Pisces |
| 30 | 3 | April 20 | |
| 60 | 4 | May 21 | |
| 90 | 5 | June 21 | Taurus |
| 120 | 6 | July 23 | |
| 150 | 7 | August 23 | |
| 180 | 8 | Sept 23 | Virgo |
| 210 | 9 | Oct 23 | |
| 240 | 10 | Nov 22 | |
| 270 | 11 | Dec 22 | Sagittarius |
| 300 | 12 | Jan 20 |
See the Related Links section below for the sources of this information.
