An ancient Maya astronomical observatory at the Chichen Itza archaeological site on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, built around AD 906 during the Post Classic period. Its spiral interior staircase gives the structure its Spanish name, meaning snail; Maya astronomers used its elevated, unobstructed sightlines to track the planet Venus, recording that it completed a full cycle of appearances in about 584 days and that five such cycles equaled eight solar years, knowledge encoded in the building's own alignment.
Facts
Observatory Typeancient Maya astronomical observatory 1 LocationChichen Itza archaeological site, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico 1 MeasuresThe rising and setting positions of Venus on the horizon 1 Operating PrincipleSightlines through the tower's windows align with astronomically significant horizon events, 20 of 29 possible events identified in the structure 1 Classification
Observing Band In the Other Atlases
Located In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is located.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: El Caracol, Chichen Itza
History section
The structure is dated to around AD 906, the Post Classic period of Mesoamerican chronology
Introduction section, location clause
El Caracol, the Observatory, is a unique structure at pre-Columbian Maya civilization site of Chichen Itza
Observations section
Mayan astronomers knew from naked-eye observations that Venus appeared on the western and disappeared on the eastern horizons at different times in the year
Observations section, sightline count
Of 29 possible astronomical events believed to be of interest to the Mesoamerican residents of Chichen Itza, sight lines for 20 can be found in the structure
Introduction section, naming clause
El Caracol, the Observatory, is a unique structure at pre-Columbian Maya civilization site of Chichen Itza
Observations section, naked-eye method clause
naked-eye observations
In Group: Historic Pre-Telescopic Observatories, Lead sentence
El Caracol, the Observatory, is a unique structure at pre-Columbian Maya civilization site of Chichen Itza.
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