Zhang Heng

• Zhang Heng (78-139 CE) was a highly influential Chinese Astronomer, Cartographer, Mathematician who was a contemporary of Ptolemy. He was honoured in his own time and well as today.
• He was born in Nanyang and lived and worked in the Capital of Ancient China, Luoyang.

Inventions

• 1. A water powered Armillary Sphere, used in Astronomy.
  2. A Seismometer.
  3. A Star Catalogue of 2,500 stars.
  4. Theories on the Lunar Eclipse and the Solar Eclipse
  5. In 116 CE Published the ‘Ti Hsing Thu’, a Chart of the World using the Rectangular Grid System.
  6. An Odometer Chariot (attributed to Zhang): as the wheels rotated, cogs struck a drum after one ‘Li’, and a Bell after ten ‘Li’.
  7. The south pointing Chariot (also attributed to Zheng): a differential gear system rotated a wooden figure of a Chinese Minister to always point south, despite whatever direction the Chariot was heading towards.

Luoyang