Spring Equinox

Spring Equinox

The equinox is of great significance for many cultures because it marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere and autumn in the southern hemisphere. Only on this date the sun rises on the equator of the planet, marking exactly the cardinal points: at dawn, the east and at sunset, the west.

In our times, the main world powers design and build solar observatories on Earth and in space to unravel the mysteries of the star around which revolves our system.

Kukulcán-Feathered Serpent God

Many ancient cultures used whatever technology they had to understand the relationship between the stars and our planet. The Sun and Venus played a very important role in creating the calendars for the activities related to sow and harvest, and religious holidays according to the natural cycles.

In the Yucatán peninsula, the Mayan civilization invested much time and resources in astronomical and mathematical research, culminating in a legacy of majestic buildings that show the position of different stars on various dates of the year. Such is the case of the archaeological sites ofChichén-Itzá, Dzibilchaltún and Tulum.

Chichén-Itzá

Chichén-Itzá

This is one of the best known archaeological sites and has been named as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Here the Temple of Kukulcán was built around the year 1100 AD and was oriented according to detailed studies on the position of the planet in relation to the Sun during the whole year.  This is the reason that through the spring and autumn equinoxes, the shadow of the pyramid’s 9 platforms, creates a projection of 7 reversed triangles in a staircase of the building, which the ancient Mayas interpreted as the arrival or departure of the feathered serpent god. This phenomenon of light and shadow indicated the season for planting and harvesting corn, sustenance of their people.

Dzibilchaltún

Dzibilchaltún

This archaeological site is located North of Mérida, and also offers a solar show, product of a detailed observation of theMayan civilization. During the equinoxes, the sun disc coincides with one of the windows of the Templo de las Siete Muñecas (Temple of the Seven Dolls), which lights up with the morning glow.

This phenomenon discovered in 1982, shows that the function of the building is that of an astronomical observatory. Also it has been discovered in this building indication that record the apparent declines of the Sun and the Moon, which confirms that the ancient Mayanswere holders of an advanced knowledge of the cycles of nature.

Tulum

Tulum

It is located 130 km south of Cancún, and is a true historical and cultural treasure of the Riviera Maya. Zamá, its original name in Mayan language which means dawn, was a walled city on three sides and protected from the sea by a cliff of 12 meters of height, where now stands the emblematic lighthouse which was used in ancient times as a reference point for navigation, port of trade and as a center of astrological studies, especially of the sunrise and sunset. According to the Mayan cosmovision, the planet Venus had as much importance as the Sun, as it emerged from the East at dawn as Ah Chicum Ek and descended as Lamat in the west at dusk.

The Sun rises at the spring equinox exactly behind the building known as El Castillo (The Castle), and it sets the same day exactly on the west exit door of the archaeological site.

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If you have the chance, visit one of these places and become a witness of the amazing knowledge of ancient civilizations.

But if you can’t, this March 20^th the North American Aerospace Agency (NASA) will be broadcasting, via internet, various activities related to the 2011 Sun-Earth Day from the archaeological site of Chichén-Itzá. You can check the full program at this internet address: http://sunearthday.nasa.gov

Main archaeological sites in Yucatán