Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido is Korea’s National Treasure No. 228. It is the second oldest stone-carved astronomical chart in the world. 1,467 Stars Form 283 Constellations. This 14th-century planisphere chart, originally 122 centimeters wide and 221 centimeters long, divides the celestial sphere into 12 zones. The chart has more than three times as many constellations than Western astronomical charts produced during the similar period, which have 88 constellations.
The original stone carving was made in Goguryeo (37 B.C.-A.D. 668) but was submerged in the Taedong River and lost during the war that led to the fall of the ancient kingdom.
Royal court astronomers then worked recreate the chart. Eleven scholars at the court office for astronomical observation, Seoungwan, observed stars to eliminate the errors that arose over seven centuries; the result was a far more detailed and precise chart containing not only the names of stars and constellations but rich astronomical information. This new chart, completed in 1395 and named “Cheonsang yeolcha bunya jido,” meaning a “planisphere chart of different celestial zones."