A courtyard at the Catholic University of Leuven is home to a unique globe, a replica of an instrument that a 17th-century Jesuit missionary created for the Chinese imperial court. Astronomy was an important science in 17th-century China, as the emperor drew power and authority from correctly predicting astronomical phenomena like eclipses. If these predictions were incorrect, or phenomena were missed, it could be seen as a sign that the heavens were not agreeing with the emperor’s power. Needless to say, a lot of money and resources were spent on astronomy…
