A UNESCO World Heritage Site containing 12 major "great houses" — including Pueblo Bonito with 800 rooms and 36 kivas — constructed between 850 and 1150 CE in a remote New Mexico canyon. The great houses are oriented to cardinal directions with documented solar and lunar alignments. The Sun Dagger on Fajada Butte marks solstices and equinoxes with razor precision using light passing between stone slabs. Over 30 miles of engineered roads radiate outward to outlier communities, roads 9 meters wide and arrow-straight — far wider than practical for a culture without wheeled vehicles. Lunar standstill alignments at Chimney Rock, 90 miles away, connect to Chaco's 18.6-year astronomical cycle tracking.
WikipediaStellar Alignments (89 stars)
| Star ▴ | Rise Az ▴ | Rise Δ ▴ | Set Az ▴ | Set Δ ▴ | Tradition ▴ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleiades (Alcyone) | 86.6° | — | 273.4° | — | |
| Orion's Belt (Alnilam) | 108.1° | — | 251.9° | — | |
| Sirius | 116.0° | — | 244.0° | — | |
| Thuban | — | — | — | — | |
| Vega | 33.0° | — | 327.0° | — | |
| Regulus | 59.8° | — | 300.2° | — | |
| Aldebaran | 92.4° | — | 267.6° | — | |
| Antares | 98.7° | — | 261.3° | — | |
| Fomalhaut | 149.6° | — | 210.4° | — | |
| Arcturus | 28.4° | — | 331.6° | — | |
| Galactic Center (Sgr A*) | 108.2° | — | 251.8° | — | |
| Galactic Anti-Center | 71.8° | — | 288.1° | — | |
| Deneb | 42.6° | — | 317.4° | — | |
| Capella | 53.1° | — | 306.9° | — | |
| Castor | 55.8° | — | 304.2° | — | |
| Pollux | 58.8° | — | 301.2° | — | |
| Procyon | 84.3° | — | 275.7° | — | |
| Betelgeuse | 96.0° | — | 264.0° | — | |
| Rigel | 118.8° | — | 241.2° | — | |
| Bellatrix | 100.3° | — | 259.7° | — | |
| Achernar | — | — | — | — | |
| Acrux | 143.1° | — | 216.9° | — | |
| Mimosa | 137.4° | — | 222.6° | — | |
| Altair | 79.5° | — | 280.6° | — | |
| Kochab | — | — | — | — | |
| Dubhe | — | — | — | — | |
| Alkaid | — | — | — | — | |
| Mizar | — | — | — | — | |
| Hamal | 90.2° | — | 269.8° | — | |
| Zubenelgenubi | 81.1° | — | 278.9° | — | |
| Alnitak | 108.5° | — | 251.5° | — | |
| Mintaka | 107.5° | — | 252.5° | — | |
| Saiph | 116.9° | — | 243.1° | — | |
| Peacock | 168.5° | — | 191.5° | — | |
| Miaplacidus | — | — | — | — | |
| Rigil Kentaurus | 140.3° | — | 219.7° | — | |
| Hadar | 137.4° | — | 222.6° | — | |
| Gacrux | 133.8° | — | 226.2° | — | |
| Naos | 135.7° | — | 224.3° | — | |
| Suhail | 131.8° | — | 228.2° | — | |
| Avior | 161.2° | — | 198.8° | — | |
| Atria | 157.7° | — | 202.3° | — | |
| Regor | 144.4° | — | 215.6° | — | |
| Alsephina | 149.7° | — | 210.3° | — | |
| Shaula | 116.7° | — | 243.3° | — | |
| Ankaa | — | — | — | — | |
| Menkent | 104.8° | — | 255.2° | — | |
| Alpheratz | 80.4° | — | 279.6° | — | |
| Eltanin | — | — | — | — | |
| Kornephoros | 39.0° | — | 321.0° | — | |
| Rasalhague | 57.7° | — | 302.3° | — | |
| Denebola | 45.5° | — | 314.5° | — | |
| Alhena | 80.8° | — | 279.2° | — | |
| Alphard | 88.8° | — | 271.2° | — | |
| Bharani | 93.6° | — | 266.4° | — | |
| Pushya | 62.8° | — | 297.2° | — | |
| Adhara | 131.1° | — | 228.9° | — | |
| Wezen | 126.6° | — | 233.4° | — | |
| Navi | 41.3° | — | 318.7° | — | |
| Schedar | 46.8° | — | 313.2° | — | |
| Nunki | 112.5° | — | 247.6° | — | |
| Canopus | — | — | — | — | |
| Kaus Australis | 118.4° | — | 241.6° | — | |
| Sabik | 89.4° | — | 270.6° | — | |
| Scheat | 77.9° | — | 282.1° | — | |
| Enif | 91.6° | — | 268.4° | — | |
| Diphda | 143.2° | — | 216.8° | — | |
| Alphecca | 23.6° | — | 336.4° | — | |
| Rasalgethi | 53.5° | — | 306.5° | — | |
| Spica | 74.5° | — | 285.5° | — | |
| Zubeneschamali | 73.8° | — | 286.2° | — | |
| Unukalhai | 55.3° | — | 304.7° | — | |
| Murzim | 122.5° | — | 237.5° | — | |
| Phact | 150.0° | — | 210.0° | — | |
| Mirfak | 55.5° | — | 304.5° | — | |
| Vindemiatrix | 46.2° | — | 313.8° | — | |
| Markab | 93.1° | — | 266.9° | — | |
| Algol | 67.5° | — | 292.5° | — | |
| Sadalmelik | 105.8° | — | 254.2° | — | |
| Sadalsuud | 108.1° | — | 251.9° | — | |
| Sun (Summer Solstice) | 60.5° | — | 299.5° | — | |
| Sun (Winter Solstice) | 119.5° | — | 240.5° | — | |
| Sun (Equinox) | 90.0° | — | 270.0° | — | |
| Sun (Northern Cross-Quarter) | 69.4° | — | 290.6° | — | |
| Sun (Southern Cross-Quarter) | 110.6° | — | 249.4° | — | |
| Moon (N Major Standstill) | 53.5° | — | 306.5° | — | |
| Moon (S Major Standstill) | 126.5° | — | 233.5° | — | |
| Moon (N Minor Standstill) | 66.6° | — | 293.4° | — | |
| Moon (S Minor Standstill) | 113.4° | — | 246.6° | — |
Convergence Events (1)
35.8°
Algol Rise
Arabic (demon head), Egyptian (Cairo Calendar 1244 BCE), Chinese (great tomb), Hebrew
Δ 0.1°
Reference Bearings (20 landmarks)
| Landmark | Bearing | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| giza | 35.70° | 11,520 km |
| angkor wat | 322.72° | 13,578 km |
| nazca | 142.40° | 6,626 km |
| teotihuacan | 151.50° | 2,026 km |
| stonehenge | 39.43° | 7,947 km |
| gobekli tepe | 26.26° | 11,181 km |
| machu picchu | 139.09° | 6,617 km |
| easter island | 181.38° | 7,026 km |
| cahokia | 74.29° | 1,605 km |
| sedona | 250.07° | 369 km |
| mecca | 33.18° | 12,781 km |
| jerusalem | 31.66° | 11,553 km |
| vatican | 40.12° | 9,443 km |
| lhasa | 342.18° | 12,440 km |
| kailash | 351.42° | 12,488 km |
| uluru | 264.69° | 14,336 km |
| tiwanaku | 137.70° | 7,161 km |
| chaco canyon | 0.00° | 0 km |
| mt shasta | 299.49° | 1,373 km |
| levis stadium | 280.98° | 1,256 km |
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