STUDY / OBJECTIVE
Document the full conditions of a date conversion and identify uncertainty around a solar-term transition.
PrerequisitesStems and branches
01 / STUDY
Separate months, solar terms and instants
Modern solar terms are set at fifteen-degree intervals of solar longitude: the spring equinox is zero degrees and the summer solstice ninety. A printed date places the instant within a calendar day; its clock time also depends on the time standard. Lunar month names and solar terms organize time differently.
02 / STUDY
Preserve the original date record
Transcribe the original date separately from its converted form. Record calendar, era or year, leap-month status, place, precision and source. A date without a time may support day-level work. If a procedure needs an hour or transition instant, mark that requirement as unresolved.
03 / STUDY
Retain both branches near a boundary
If the known time interval straddles a rule boundary, process both sides and compare the fields that change. Distinguish uncertainty in the input from disagreement about the rule. Do not represent an estimate as an observation or choose the branch whose result is more appealing.
WORKED EXAMPLE
A two-branch transition record
Fictional exercise: the recorded time is 09:58–10:04, and the adopted boundary is 10:00 in the same time standard.
Keep the interval. Its midpoint, 10:01, is not an observed fact.
Branch A applies the pre-10:00 rule; branch B applies the rule from 10:00 onward, explicitly stating boundary inclusion.
Retain both outputs and identify evidence that could narrow the interval, such as the original clock record and its error.
The record reflects the resolution of the evidence and remains open to revision.
PRACTICE / REFLECTION
Exercises and answers
01What is needed to move from a term's date to minute-level timing?
Read the explanation
Consult a reliable calculation or table of transition times, recording its time standard and precision. A date-only table cannot supply minutes.
02Can an unspecified leap-month status be silently treated as an ordinary month?
Read the explanation
Check context and the relevant calendar year. If ordinary and leap-month candidates both remain possible, retain both until evidence excludes one.
A distinction to retain
Do not silently apply modern time standards and algorithms to all historical materials. The example times are fictional.
Unit output
A date-input card, a two-branch boundary table and a full citation for the calendar source.
REFERENCES
Reading references
Table 1 · solar terms and solar longitude
Checks modern angular definitions; it does not establish the rules of every historical calendar.Select the table for the relevant year
Check year coverage and time standard; exact term transitions require additional timing data.References reviewed: 2026-10-24. Examples, record templates and explanations are editorial teaching material. Fictional inputs are not historical events or efficacy evidence. Citations imply no affiliation.
Personal study record; not a grade, assessment or credential.
Connected study paths
Calendars: cycles, terms and boundariesFate systems: structure and interpretationSpace: orientation, environment and selectionEditorial study material · 2026-10-24