Named for the versatile Chinese scholar Shen Guo (1031–1095), who lived during the Sung dynasty and had many achievements in astronomy. He determined the distance of Polaris from the north celestial pole to be 3° and devised an experiment to demonstrate that the Moon is a dark, spherical body illuminated by sunlight. He also proposed that the traditional lunar calendar be abandoned in favor of one based on solar reckoning. (M 4785) _ _.