Maoling is the largest of all Western Han dynasty tombs — a rammed-earth pyramid rising 46.5 meters, built over 53 years for Emperor Wu (r. 141-87 BCE), the most powerful Han ruler. Often identified as the "White Pyramid" photographed by U.S. pilot James Gaussman in 1945, whose reports of giant Chinese pyramids were initially dismissed by Western academia. Emperor Wu's 54-year reign saw China's expansion to its greatest pre-modern extent. The tomb's 289.87° Giza bearing places it within the Xi'an pyramid field — a constellation of over 40 imperial mounds spanning 1,200 years of Chinese funerary architecture.
Stellar Alignments (89 stars)
| Star ▴ | Rise Az ▴ | Rise Δ ▴ | Set Az ▴ | Set Δ ▴ | Tradition ▴ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleiades (Alcyone) | 86.6° | — | 273.4° | — | |
| Orion's Belt (Alnilam) | 107.7° | — | 252.3° | — | |
| Sirius | 115.5° | — | 244.6° | — | |
| Thuban | — | — | — | — | |
| Vega | 34.7° | — | 325.3° | — | |
| Regulus | 60.5° | — | 299.5° | — | |
| Aldebaran | 92.3° | — | 267.7° | — | |
| Antares | 98.6° | — | 261.4° | — | |
| Fomalhaut | 147.7° | — | 212.3° | — | |
| Arcturus | 30.5° | — | 329.5° | — | |
| Galactic Center (Sgr A*) | 107.9° | — | 252.1° | — | |
| Galactic Anti-Center | 72.2° | — | 287.8° | — | |
| Deneb | 43.9° | — | 316.1° | — | |
| Capella | 54.0° | — | 306.0° | — | |
| Castor | 56.5° | — | 303.5° | — | |
| Pollux | 59.5° | — | 300.5° | — | |
| Procyon | 84.4° | — | 275.6° | — | |
| Betelgeuse | 95.9° | — | 264.1° | — | |
| Rigel | 118.2° | — | 241.8° | — | |
| Bellatrix | 100.1° | — | 259.9° | — | |
| Achernar | — | — | — | — | |
| Acrux | 141.6° | — | 218.4° | — | |
| Mimosa | 136.1° | — | 223.9° | — | |
| Altair | 79.7° | — | 280.3° | — | |
| Kochab | — | — | — | — | |
| Dubhe | — | — | — | — | |
| Alkaid | — | — | — | — | |
| Mizar | — | — | — | — | |
| Hamal | 90.2° | — | 269.8° | — | |
| Zubenelgenubi | 81.2° | — | 278.8° | — | |
| Alnitak | 108.1° | — | 251.9° | — | |
| Mintaka | 107.1° | — | 252.9° | — | |
| Saiph | 116.3° | — | 243.7° | — | |
| Peacock | 163.8° | — | 196.2° | — | |
| Miaplacidus | 169.8° | — | 190.2° | — | |
| Rigil Kentaurus | 139.0° | — | 221.0° | — | |
| Hadar | 136.2° | — | 223.8° | — | |
| Gacrux | 132.7° | — | 227.3° | — | |
| Naos | 134.5° | — | 225.5° | — | |
| Suhail | 130.8° | — | 229.2° | — | |
| Avior | 158.1° | — | 201.9° | — | |
| Atria | 155.1° | — | 204.9° | — | |
| Regor | 142.8° | — | 217.2° | — | |
| Alsephina | 147.8° | — | 212.2° | — | |
| Shaula | 116.2° | — | 243.8° | — | |
| Ankaa | — | — | — | — | |
| Menkent | 104.5° | — | 255.5° | — | |
| Alpheratz | 80.6° | — | 279.4° | — | |
| Eltanin | — | — | — | — | |
| Kornephoros | 40.3° | — | 319.7° | — | |
| Rasalhague | 58.4° | — | 301.6° | — | |
| Denebola | 46.6° | — | 313.4° | — | |
| Alhena | 81.0° | — | 279.0° | — | |
| Alphard | 88.9° | — | 271.1° | — | |
| Bharani | 93.5° | — | 266.5° | — | |
| Pushya | 63.4° | — | 296.6° | — | |
| Adhara | 130.1° | — | 229.9° | — | |
| Wezen | 125.8° | — | 234.2° | — | |
| Navi | 42.6° | — | 317.4° | — | |
| Schedar | 47.9° | — | 312.1° | — | |
| Nunki | 112.0° | — | 248.0° | — | |
| Canopus | 177.8° | — | 182.2° | — | |
| Kaus Australis | 117.8° | — | 242.2° | — | |
| Sabik | 89.5° | — | 270.6° | — | |
| Scheat | 78.2° | — | 281.8° | — | |
| Enif | 91.6° | — | 268.4° | — | |
| Diphda | 141.7° | — | 218.3° | — | |
| Alphecca | 26.0° | — | 334.0° | — | |
| Rasalgethi | 54.4° | — | 305.6° | — | |
| Spica | 74.8° | — | 285.2° | — | |
| Zubeneschamali | 74.2° | — | 285.8° | — | |
| Unukalhai | 56.1° | — | 303.9° | — | |
| Murzim | 121.8° | — | 238.2° | — | |
| Phact | 148.1° | — | 211.9° | — | |
| Mirfak | 56.2° | — | 303.8° | — | |
| Vindemiatrix | 47.3° | — | 312.7° | — | |
| Markab | 93.1° | — | 266.9° | — | |
| Algol | 68.0° | — | 292.0° | — | |
| Sadalmelik | 105.5° | — | 254.5° | — | |
| Sadalsuud | 107.7° | — | 252.3° | — | |
| Sun (Summer Solstice) | 61.2° | — | 298.8° | — | |
| Sun (Winter Solstice) | 118.8° | — | 241.2° | — | |
| Sun (Equinox) | 90.0° | — | 270.0° | — | |
| Sun (Northern Cross-Quarter) | 69.9° | — | 290.1° | — | |
| Sun (Southern Cross-Quarter) | 110.1° | — | 249.9° | — | |
| Moon (N Major Standstill) | 54.4° | — | 305.6° | — | |
| Moon (S Major Standstill) | 125.6° | — | 234.4° | — | |
| Moon (N Minor Standstill) | 67.1° | — | 292.9° | — | |
| Moon (S Minor Standstill) | 112.9° | — | 247.1° | — |
Convergence Events (5)
290.0°
Alhena Set
Hindu (Punarvasu), Arabic, Chinese
Δ 0.1°
290.2°
Aldebaran Set
Persian Royal Star (Tascheter), Hindu (Rohini), Babylonian, Aboriginal
Δ 0.3°
288.6°
Markab Set
Babylonian, Arabic (saddle), Chinese, Hindu (near Shatabhisha)
Δ 1.3°
287.8°
Denebola Set
Hindu (Uttara Phalguni), Chinese, Arabic
Δ 2.1°
287.5°
Rasalgethi Set
Arabic, Chinese (Tianshi), Sumerian, Greek (Herakles)
Δ 2.3°
Reference Bearings (20 landmarks)
| Landmark | Bearing | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| giza | 289.87° | 7,119 km |
| angkor wat | 192.60° | 2,385 km |
| nazca | 10.16° | 17,795 km |
| teotihuacan | 30.01° | 13,334 km |
| stonehenge | 322.51° | 8,329 km |
| gobekli tepe | 294.63° | 6,140 km |
| machu picchu | 2.99° | 17,647 km |
| easter island | 87.78° | 16,324 km |
| cahokia | 14.96° | 11,664 km |
| sedona | 32.76° | 11,242 km |
| mecca | 277.25° | 6,782 km |
| jerusalem | 290.00° | 6,682 km |
| vatican | 308.83° | 7,984 km |
| lhasa | 256.90° | 1,726 km |
| kailash | 269.27° | 2,569 km |
| uluru | 157.29° | 7,057 km |
| tiwanaku | 351.44° | 18,008 km |
| chaco canyon | 29.43° | 11,309 km |
| mt shasta | 35.65° | 10,120 km |
| levis stadium | 37.95° | 10,473 km |
Related Sites — Giza / Orion Extraction