El Caracol ~ The Observatory at Chichen Itza, Mexico
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member PersonsMD
N 20° 40.758 W 088° 34.268
16Q E 336352 N 2287448
The Chichen Itza Observatory or "El Caracol" (The Snail) was dedicated to the study of astronomy and it consists of a tower erected on two rectangular platforms.
Waymark Code: WM5ZHE
Location: Yucatán, Mexico
Date Posted: 03/07/2009
Views: 46
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El Caracol is sometimes referred to as “the observatory.” To modern eyes, the rounded dome of El Caracol—actually the decayed remains of what was a cylindrical structure—looks a lot like it could house a telescope. It doesn’t, of course, but there is plenty of evidence suggesting that El Caracol was used as a lookout on the heavens.

In the Yucatan, dense with trees and scrub brush and flat as a tortilla, sky-watching of any kind is impossible without some way to rise above the leafy canopy. The tower atop El Caracol sits high on a four-cornered but not quite square platform and gives excellent unobstructed views of the skies and surrounding landscape.

In particular, El Caracol seems to be carefully aligned with the motions of Venus. Venus had tremendous significance for the Maya; this bright planet was considered the sun’s twin and a war god. Mayan leaders used the changing position of Venus to plan appropriate times for raids and battles.

Kukulkán as Venus
The grand staircase that marks the front of El Caracol faces 27.5 degrees north of west—out of line with the other buildings at the site, but an almost perfect match for the northern extreme of Venus, Venus’s most northerly position in the sky. Also, a diagonal formed by the northeast and southwest corners of the building aligns with both the summer solstice sunrise and the winter solstice sunset.
Observatory Purpose: Private

Optical / Infrared Telescopes?: No

Radio Telescopes?: No

Solar Telescopes?: No

Open to the Public?: Yes

Is this a Club Observatory?: No

Public Viewing Allowed?: No

Active Observatory?: Retired

Number of Telescopes or Antennas: 1

Year Dedicated or Opened: 600

Site URL: Not listed

Altitude (meters): Not Listed
Visit Instructions:
Note the time of day of your visit, and your own photo of your favorite part of the observatory. This might be the view from the observatory, picture of your favorite building or favorite exhibit. (Be mindful of flash photography rules!)

If you participated in an observing session, let everyone know what you saw!

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