The Pyramid of the Niches at El Tajin contains exactly 365 niches carved into its six stepped tiers — one for each day of the solar year. Rising 18 meters in the tropical lowlands of Veracruz, this 7th-century Totonac masterwork uses deep shadow-play within each niche to create a living calendar: sunlight enters specific niches on specific days. The architectural style is unique in Mesoamerica — no other site replicates this niche-counting system. At a 45.91° Giza bearing, the pyramid's calendrical precision extends beyond solar tracking into a geometric relationship with the prime meridian of ancient monument placement.
Stellar Alignments (89 stars)
| Star ▴ | Rise Az ▴ | Rise Δ ▴ | Set Az ▴ | Set Δ ▴ | Tradition ▴ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleiades (Alcyone) | 87.0° | — | 273.0° | — | |
| Orion's Belt (Alnilam) | 105.5° | — | 254.5° | — | |
| Sirius | 112.2° | — | 247.8° | — | |
| Thuban | — | — | — | — | |
| Vega | 43.7° | — | 316.3° | — | |
| Regulus | 64.3° | — | 295.7° | — | |
| Aldebaran | 92.0° | — | 267.9° | — | |
| Antares | 97.5° | — | 262.5° | — | |
| Fomalhaut | 138.1° | — | 221.9° | — | |
| Arcturus | 40.7° | — | 319.3° | — | |
| Galactic Center (Sgr A*) | 105.7° | — | 254.3° | — | |
| Galactic Anti-Center | 74.4° | — | 285.6° | — | |
| Deneb | 50.6° | — | 309.4° | — | |
| Capella | 58.8° | — | 301.2° | — | |
| Castor | 61.0° | — | 299.0° | — | |
| Pollux | 63.5° | — | 296.6° | — | |
| Procyon | 85.1° | — | 274.9° | — | |
| Betelgeuse | 95.2° | — | 264.8° | — | |
| Rigel | 114.6° | — | 245.4° | — | |
| Bellatrix | 98.9° | — | 261.1° | — | |
| Achernar | — | — | — | — | |
| Acrux | 133.6° | — | 226.4° | — | |
| Mimosa | 129.4° | — | 230.6° | — | |
| Altair | 80.9° | — | 279.1° | — | |
| Kochab | — | — | — | — | |
| Dubhe | — | — | — | — | |
| Alkaid | — | — | — | — | |
| Mizar | — | — | — | — | |
| Hamal | 90.2° | — | 269.8° | — | |
| Zubenelgenubi | 82.3° | — | 277.7° | — | |
| Alnitak | 105.9° | — | 254.1° | — | |
| Mintaka | 105.0° | — | 255.0° | — | |
| Saiph | 113.0° | — | 247.0° | — | |
| Peacock | 147.7° | — | 212.3° | — | |
| Miaplacidus | 150.0° | — | 210.0° | — | |
| Rigil Kentaurus | 131.6° | — | 228.4° | — | |
| Hadar | 129.4° | — | 230.6° | — | |
| Gacrux | 126.7° | — | 233.3° | — | |
| Naos | 128.1° | — | 231.9° | — | |
| Suhail | 125.1° | — | 234.9° | — | |
| Avior | 144.7° | — | 215.3° | — | |
| Atria | 143.0° | — | 217.0° | — | |
| Regor | 134.5° | — | 225.5° | — | |
| Alsephina | 138.1° | — | 221.9° | — | |
| Shaula | 112.8° | — | 247.2° | — | |
| Ankaa | 161.3° | — | 198.7° | — | |
| Menkent | 102.8° | — | 257.2° | — | |
| Alpheratz | 81.8° | — | 278.3° | — | |
| Eltanin | 26.1° | — | 333.9° | — | |
| Kornephoros | 47.9° | — | 312.1° | — | |
| Rasalhague | 62.5° | — | 297.4° | — | |
| Denebola | 52.8° | — | 307.2° | — | |
| Alhena | 82.1° | — | 277.9° | — | |
| Alphard | 89.0° | — | 271.0° | — | |
| Bharani | 93.1° | — | 266.9° | — | |
| Pushya | 66.8° | — | 293.2° | — | |
| Adhara | 124.5° | — | 235.5° | — | |
| Wezen | 121.0° | — | 239.1° | — | |
| Navi | 49.6° | — | 310.4° | — | |
| Schedar | 53.8° | — | 306.2° | — | |
| Nunki | 109.2° | — | 250.8° | — | |
| Canopus | 151.6° | — | 208.4° | — | |
| Kaus Australis | 114.2° | — | 245.8° | — | |
| Sabik | 89.5° | — | 270.5° | — | |
| Scheat | 79.6° | — | 280.4° | — | |
| Enif | 91.4° | — | 268.6° | — | |
| Diphda | 133.7° | — | 226.3° | — | |
| Alphecca | 37.7° | — | 322.3° | — | |
| Rasalgethi | 59.1° | — | 300.9° | — | |
| Spica | 76.7° | — | 283.3° | — | |
| Zubeneschamali | 76.1° | — | 283.9° | — | |
| Unukalhai | 60.6° | — | 299.4° | — | |
| Murzim | 117.6° | — | 242.4° | — | |
| Phact | 138.4° | — | 221.6° | — | |
| Mirfak | 60.7° | — | 299.3° | — | |
| Vindemiatrix | 53.3° | — | 306.7° | — | |
| Markab | 92.7° | — | 267.3° | — | |
| Algol | 70.7° | — | 289.3° | — | |
| Sadalmelik | 103.6° | — | 256.4° | — | |
| Sadalsuud | 105.5° | — | 254.5° | — | |
| Sun (Summer Solstice) | 64.9° | — | 295.1° | — | |
| Sun (Winter Solstice) | 115.1° | — | 244.9° | — | |
| Sun (Equinox) | 90.0° | — | 270.0° | — | |
| Sun (Northern Cross-Quarter) | 72.4° | — | 287.6° | — | |
| Sun (Southern Cross-Quarter) | 107.6° | — | 252.4° | — | |
| Moon (N Major Standstill) | 59.1° | — | 300.9° | — | |
| Moon (S Major Standstill) | 120.8° | — | 239.2° | — | |
| Moon (N Minor Standstill) | 70.0° | — | 290.0° | — | |
| Moon (S Minor Standstill) | 110.0° | — | 250.0° | — |
Convergence Events (2)
45.6°
Algol Rise
Arabic (demon head), Egyptian (Cairo Calendar 1244 BCE), Chinese (great tomb), Hebrew
Δ 0.3°
48.0°
Vega Rise
Japanese (Orihime/Tanabata), Chinese (Weaver Girl), pole star ~12000 BCE
Δ 2.1°
Reference Bearings (20 landmarks)
| Landmark | Bearing | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| giza | 45.91° | 12,156 km |
| angkor wat | 326.58° | 15,592 km |
| nazca | 146.24° | 4,613 km |
| teotihuacan | 241.76° | 175 km |
| stonehenge | 39.71° | 8,625 km |
| gobekli tepe | 35.62° | 12,137 km |
| machu picchu | 141.93° | 4,619 km |
| easter island | 194.18° | 5,443 km |
| cahokia | 17.52° | 2,143 km |
| sedona | 321.70° | 2,135 km |
| mecca | 47.44° | 13,435 km |
| jerusalem | 42.04° | 12,321 km |
| vatican | 44.44° | 10,028 km |
| lhasa | 350.46° | 14,370 km |
| kailash | 1.44° | 14,286 km |
| uluru | 254.18° | 15,052 km |
| tiwanaku | 140.61° | 5,171 km |
| chaco canyon | 331.54° | 2,019 km |
| mt shasta | 320.24° | 3,300 km |
| levis stadium | 313.78° | 3,031 km |
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