Astronomy in China: A Trip Report of the American Astronomy Delegation

摘要

This is a report of a 25-day visit to the People's Republic of China by an American delegation on nine astronomers and one historian of Chinese science. The goals of the trip were to survey astronomy in China by visiting major observatories, institutes, and universities; to establish friendly relationships with Chinese astronomers and administrators; and to lay the groundwork for future exchanges. The delegation sought to become more familiar with Chinese goals for near-term developments in such subfields as celestial mechanics, astrometry, time determination, solar and stellar physics, and radio astronomy. The itinerary included visits to Peking Observatory, Purple Mountain Observatory, Nanking Astronomical Instruments Factory, Shanghai Observatory, and Yunnan Observatory.