The South Platform dominates Monte Alban — the Zapotec capital perched atop an artificially leveled mountaintop at 1,940 meters elevation in Oaxaca. This is the largest structure at the UNESCO World Heritage site, which was inhabited from 500 BCE to 850 CE and housed up to 25,000 residents. Monte Alban's Grand Plaza was created by shearing off the mountain's peak — one of the most audacious landscape modifications in the ancient Americas. The site's 47.16° Giza bearing places it on a distinct westward-shifted corridor from the Yucatan Maya sites, reflecting the Zapotec civilization's independent geometric traditions.
Stellar Alignments (89 stars)
| Star ▴ | Rise Az ▴ | Rise Δ ▴ | Set Az ▴ | Set Δ ▴ | Tradition ▴ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleiades (Alcyone) | 87.1° | — | 272.9° | — | |
| Orion's Belt (Alnilam) | 105.2° | — | 254.8° | — | |
| Sirius | 111.8° | — | 248.2° | — | |
| Thuban | — | — | — | — | |
| Vega | 44.9° | — | 315.1° | — | |
| Regulus | 64.8° | — | 295.2° | — | |
| Aldebaran | 92.0° | — | 268.0° | — | |
| Antares | 97.4° | — | 262.6° | — | |
| Fomalhaut | 136.8° | — | 223.2° | — | |
| Arcturus | 42.0° | — | 318.0° | — | |
| Galactic Center (Sgr A*) | 105.3° | — | 254.7° | — | |
| Galactic Anti-Center | 74.7° | — | 285.3° | — | |
| Deneb | 51.5° | — | 308.5° | — | |
| Capella | 59.5° | — | 300.5° | — | |
| Castor | 61.6° | — | 298.4° | — | |
| Pollux | 64.0° | — | 296.0° | — | |
| Procyon | 85.2° | — | 274.8° | — | |
| Betelgeuse | 95.1° | — | 264.9° | — | |
| Rigel | 114.1° | — | 245.9° | — | |
| Bellatrix | 98.7° | — | 261.3° | — | |
| Achernar | — | — | — | — | |
| Acrux | 132.6° | — | 227.4° | — | |
| Mimosa | 128.5° | — | 231.5° | — | |
| Altair | 81.1° | — | 278.9° | — | |
| Kochab | — | — | — | — | |
| Dubhe | 8.2° | — | 351.8° | — | |
| Alkaid | — | — | — | — | |
| Mizar | — | — | — | — | |
| Hamal | 90.2° | — | 269.8° | — | |
| Zubenelgenubi | 82.5° | — | 277.6° | — | |
| Alnitak | 105.5° | — | 254.4° | — | |
| Mintaka | 104.7° | — | 255.3° | — | |
| Saiph | 112.5° | — | 247.5° | — | |
| Peacock | 145.9° | — | 214.1° | — | |
| Miaplacidus | 148.1° | — | 211.9° | — | |
| Rigil Kentaurus | 130.6° | — | 229.4° | — | |
| Hadar | 128.5° | — | 231.5° | — | |
| Gacrux | 125.8° | — | 234.2° | — | |
| Naos | 127.2° | — | 232.8° | — | |
| Suhail | 124.3° | — | 235.7° | — | |
| Avior | 143.2° | — | 216.8° | — | |
| Atria | 141.5° | — | 218.5° | — | |
| Regor | 133.4° | — | 226.6° | — | |
| Alsephina | 136.8° | — | 223.2° | — | |
| Shaula | 112.3° | — | 247.7° | — | |
| Ankaa | 158.2° | — | 201.8° | — | |
| Menkent | 102.5° | — | 257.5° | — | |
| Alpheratz | 81.9° | — | 278.1° | — | |
| Eltanin | 28.3° | — | 331.7° | — | |
| Kornephoros | 48.9° | — | 311.1° | — | |
| Rasalhague | 63.1° | — | 296.9° | — | |
| Denebola | 53.7° | — | 306.3° | — | |
| Alhena | 82.2° | — | 277.8° | — | |
| Alphard | 89.0° | — | 271.0° | — | |
| Bharani | 93.0° | — | 267.0° | — | |
| Pushya | 67.3° | — | 292.7° | — | |
| Adhara | 123.8° | — | 236.2° | — | |
| Wezen | 120.3° | — | 239.7° | — | |
| Navi | 50.6° | — | 309.4° | — | |
| Schedar | 54.6° | — | 305.4° | — | |
| Nunki | 108.8° | — | 251.2° | — | |
| Canopus | 149.5° | — | 210.5° | — | |
| Kaus Australis | 113.7° | — | 246.3° | — | |
| Sabik | 89.5° | — | 270.5° | — | |
| Scheat | 79.8° | — | 280.2° | — | |
| Enif | 91.4° | — | 268.6° | — | |
| Diphda | 132.6° | — | 227.4° | — | |
| Alphecca | 39.2° | — | 320.8° | — | |
| Rasalgethi | 59.8° | — | 300.2° | — | |
| Spica | 76.9° | — | 283.1° | — | |
| Zubeneschamali | 76.4° | — | 283.6° | — | |
| Unukalhai | 61.3° | — | 298.7° | — | |
| Murzim | 117.0° | — | 242.9° | — | |
| Phact | 137.1° | — | 222.9° | — | |
| Mirfak | 61.4° | — | 298.6° | — | |
| Vindemiatrix | 54.2° | — | 305.8° | — | |
| Markab | 92.7° | — | 267.4° | — | |
| Algol | 71.1° | — | 288.9° | — | |
| Sadalmelik | 103.3° | — | 256.6° | — | |
| Sadalsuud | 105.2° | — | 254.8° | — | |
| Sun (Summer Solstice) | 65.4° | — | 294.6° | — | |
| Sun (Winter Solstice) | 114.6° | — | 245.4° | — | |
| Sun (Equinox) | 90.0° | — | 270.0° | — | |
| Sun (Northern Cross-Quarter) | 72.7° | — | 287.3° | — | |
| Sun (Southern Cross-Quarter) | 107.3° | — | 252.7° | — | |
| Moon (N Major Standstill) | 59.8° | — | 300.2° | — | |
| Moon (S Major Standstill) | 120.2° | — | 239.8° | — | |
| Moon (N Minor Standstill) | 70.4° | — | 289.6° | — | |
| Moon (S Minor Standstill) | 109.6° | — | 250.4° | — |
Convergence Events (2)
46.7°
Algol Rise
Arabic (demon head), Egyptian (Cairo Calendar 1244 BCE), Chinese (great tomb), Hebrew
Δ 0.5°
49.1°
Vega Rise
Japanese (Orihime/Tanabata), Chinese (Weaver Girl), pole star ~12000 BCE
Δ 1.9°
Reference Bearings (20 landmarks)
| Landmark | Bearing | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| giza | 47.16° | 12,369 km |
| angkor wat | 324.95° | 15,940 km |
| nazca | 144.69° | 4,265 km |
| teotihuacan | 323.68° | 367 km |
| stonehenge | 39.39° | 8,876 km |
| gobekli tepe | 36.73° | 12,405 km |
| machu picchu | 140.11° | 4,285 km |
| easter island | 195.69° | 5,094 km |
| cahokia | 13.85° | 2,490 km |
| sedona | 325.97° | 2,478 km |
| mecca | 49.44° | 13,638 km |
| jerusalem | 43.33° | 12,556 km |
| vatican | 44.69° | 10,253 km |
| lhasa | 350.67° | 14,754 km |
| kailash | 2.21° | 14,662 km |
| uluru | 250.94° | 15,000 km |
| tiwanaku | 139.05° | 4,841 km |
| chaco canyon | 334.59° | 2,385 km |
| mt shasta | 323.17° | 3,637 km |
| levis stadium | 317.57° | 3,346 km |
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