*三垣二十八宿とは何？
三垣二十八宿は「さんえんにじゅうはっしゅく」と読みます。古代中国には星宦という星座があり、天球を三分割した三垣と天球上の月の通り道にある28個の星座を二十八宿と呼びます。三垣は天球を三区画に分けて「紫微垣（しびえん）」、「太微垣（たいびえん）」、「天市垣（てんしえん）」と天帝の住居やその周りの庭園や市場に見立てています。天の北極に近いほど身分が高い星官(星座)とされました。
二十八宿は天球の月の通り道にある28個の中国の星座です。28宿を7宿ごとにまとめた四象があり、東方青龍、北方玄武、西方白虎、南方朱雀に分けました。星官はすばる、つりがねぼし(おうし座)、うおつりぼし(さそり座)など、星官は日本にも伝えられました。夜空の星々の並びは変わりませんが、民族や時代によってそれぞれ独自の星の呼び名や星座があります。
*What are the Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions?
The Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions, read as "Sanyuan Nijuhakushu," originate from ancient Chinese astronomy. The celestial sphere was divided into three sections called the Three Enclosures and twenty-eight constellations known as the Twenty-Eight Mansions, which lie along the path of the moon. The Three Enclosures divide the sky into three areas: the Purple Forbidden Enclosure, the Supreme Palace Enclosure, and the Heavenly Market Enclosure, representing the emperor's residence and surrounding gardens and marketplaces. The closer a constellation was to the north celestial pole, the higher its status.
The Twenty-Eight Mansions are Chinese constellations located along the moon’s path. These were grouped into four symbols with seven mansions each: the Azure Dragon of the East, the Black Tortoise of the North, the White Tiger of the West, and the Vermilion Bird of the South. Some of these constellations, such as the Pleiades (Subaru), Hyades (Tsuriganeboshi), and Antares (Uotsuriboshi), were also known in Japan. While the arrangement of stars in the night sky remains unchanged, different cultures and eras have their unique names and interpretations of constellations.
