Determining the observational epoch of the Shi's Star Catalog using the generalized Hough transform method

Abstract Ancient stellar observations are a valuable cultural heritage, profoundly influencing both cultural domains and modern astronomical research. The Shi's Star Catalog (石氏星经), the oldest extant star catalog in China, faces controversy regarding its observational epoch. Determining this epoch via precession assumes accurate ancient coordinates and correspondence with contemporary stars, posing significant challenges. This study introduces a novel method using the Generalized Hough Transform to ascertain the catalog's observational epoch. This approach statistically accommodates errors in ancient coordinates and discrepancies between ancient and modern stars, addressing limitations in prior methods. Our findings date the Shi's Star Catalog to the 4th century BCE, with 2nd-century CE adjustments. In comparison, the Western tradition's oldest known catalog, the Ptolemaic Star Catalog (2nd century CE), likely derives from the Hipparchus Star Catalog (2nd century BCE). Thus, the Shi's Star Catalog is identified as the world's oldest known star catalog. Beyond establishing its observation period, this study aims to consolidate and digitize these cultural artifacts.