2,700-Year-Old Chinese Text Reveals "Yellow Sun" Corona, Earth's Rotation

• An international team found the oldest written evidence of a solar eclipse from 709 BCE in ancient Chinese texts.
• A 2,700-year-old Chinese text described the sun as "completely yellow" during a 709 BCE eclipse, believed to be the first written description of the solar corona.
• Scientists corrected an 8-kilometer error in the assumed location of the ancient capital, resolving discrepancies in modeling the 709 BCE eclipse visibility.
• Corrected ancient eclipse data allowed scientists to accurately determine Earth's axial rotation speed thousands of years ago, filling a "missing link."
• Ancient Chinese meticulous records of celestial events, driven by fear of bad omens, are now proving invaluable for modern scientific understanding.

Why It Matters: Ancient Chinese records reveal Earth's past rotation, surprising NASA.