El Caracol - Chichen Itza, Mexico
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Ariberna
N 20° 40.758 W 088° 34.268
16Q E 336352 N 2287448
El Caracol , the Observatory , is a structure that stands out in the pre-Columbian site of the Mayan civilization at Chichén Itzá . El Caracol , is named in this way for a spiral staircase that is inside the tower.
Waymark Code: WM14N7B
Location: Yucatán, Mexico
Date Posted: 07/30/2021
Views: 5
"The structure dates back to 906, the end of the classic period of Mesoamerican chronologies , according to the stela in the Upper Platform.
It has been suggested that El Caracol was an ancient Mayan observatory and allowed the Mayan people to observe the changes in the sky caused by the flat landscape of the Yucatan that has no natural hills around Chichén Itzá. The observers could contemplate the sky over the vegetation of the Yucatan Peninsula.
The astronomers Maya knew from their observations that Venus appears in the west and disappears over the horizon from the east at different times throughout the year, and it takes 584 days to complete a cycle. 3
They also knew that five Venus cycles equaled eight solar years. Therefore Venus makes its appearances in the extreme north and south with intervals of eight years.
Of the 29 possible astronomical events (eclipses, equinoxes , solstices , etc.) that are believed to be the object of interest to the Mesoamerican residents of Chichén Itzá, it is possible to guess marks on the structure to visualize 20 of them. Given that a section of the tower that is on El Caracol has been destroyed but with the passage of time each crack was damaged more, it was like a story but more realistic, without more than saying that if it was beautiful, it is possible that the other measurements it can never be ascertained whether they were observed."
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