Minagawa Kien

yer: Kyoto

Doğmuş: 1734

Ölüm: 1807

Biyografi:

Minagawa Kien was a Japanese Confucianist, painter, and writer, born in Kyoto. At the age of twenty-eight, having established himself as a Confucianist, he became the official scholar for Lord Matsudaira Nobumine. His literary skill made him an outstanding figure in the mid-Edo period. He was also known for his work in astronomy and optics, and is credited with the invention of the Heitengi, an instrument used to calculate the movements of celestial bodies and tides. He also wrote a theoretical book of astronomy called Heitengi zukai in 1802. He was also a telescope maker and his descendants became telescope makers for four generations.