The unclimbed 6,638-meter peak in western Tibet is sacred to four religions simultaneously — Hinduism (abode of Shiva), Buddhism (home of Buddha Demchok), Jainism (site of Rishabhadeva's liberation), and Bön (seat of spiritual power). No human has ever reached its summit; the Chinese government banned climbing attempts in 2001 after pressure from religious leaders. Four of Asia's greatest rivers — the Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra, and Karnali — originate within 100 kilometers of its base, making it the hydrological apex of the continent. The mountain's four faces align almost perfectly with the cardinal directions, and its shape — a near-perfect pyramid of black rock — appears engineered rather than geological. Tibetan pilgrims complete the 52-kilometer kora circumambulation in a single day; the devout measure the entire circuit in body-length prostrations over weeks.
WikipediaStellar Alignments (89 stars)
| Star ▴ | Rise Az ▴ | Rise Δ ▴ | Set Az ▴ | Set Δ ▴ | Tradition ▴ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleiades (Alcyone) | 86.8° | — | 273.2° | — | |
| Orion's Belt (Alnilam) | 107.0° | — | 253.0° | — | |
| Sirius | 114.4° | — | 245.6° | — | |
| Thuban | — | — | — | — | |
| Vega | 37.7° | — | 322.3° | — | |
| Regulus | 61.7° | — | 298.3° | — | |
| Aldebaran | 92.2° | — | 267.8° | — | |
| Antares | 98.2° | — | 261.8° | — | |
| Fomalhaut | 144.5° | — | 215.5° | — | |
| Arcturus | 33.9° | — | 326.1° | — | |
| Galactic Center (Sgr A*) | 107.2° | — | 252.8° | — | |
| Galactic Anti-Center | 72.9° | — | 287.1° | — | |
| Deneb | 46.0° | — | 314.0° | — | |
| Capella | 55.5° | — | 304.5° | — | |
| Castor | 57.9° | — | 302.1° | — | |
| Pollux | 60.7° | — | 299.3° | — | |
| Procyon | 84.6° | — | 275.4° | — | |
| Betelgeuse | 95.7° | — | 264.3° | — | |
| Rigel | 117.1° | — | 242.9° | — | |
| Bellatrix | 99.7° | — | 260.3° | — | |
| Achernar | — | — | — | — | |
| Acrux | 139.0° | — | 221.0° | — | |
| Mimosa | 134.0° | — | 226.0° | — | |
| Altair | 80.0° | — | 279.9° | — | |
| Kochab | — | — | — | — | |
| Dubhe | — | — | — | — | |
| Alkaid | — | — | — | — | |
| Mizar | — | — | — | — | |
| Hamal | 90.2° | — | 269.8° | — | |
| Zubenelgenubi | 81.6° | — | 278.4° | — | |
| Alnitak | 107.4° | — | 252.6° | — | |
| Mintaka | 106.5° | — | 253.5° | — | |
| Saiph | 115.3° | — | 244.7° | — | |
| Peacock | 157.6° | — | 202.4° | — | |
| Miaplacidus | 161.4° | — | 198.6° | — | |
| Rigil Kentaurus | 136.6° | — | 223.4° | — | |
| Hadar | 134.0° | — | 226.0° | — | |
| Gacrux | 130.8° | — | 229.2° | — | |
| Naos | 132.5° | — | 227.5° | — | |
| Suhail | 129.0° | — | 231.0° | — | |
| Avior | 153.3° | — | 206.7° | — | |
| Atria | 150.8° | — | 209.2° | — | |
| Regor | 140.1° | — | 219.9° | — | |
| Alsephina | 144.5° | — | 215.5° | — | |
| Shaula | 115.1° | — | 244.9° | — | |
| Ankaa | — | — | — | — | |
| Menkent | 104.0° | — | 256.0° | — | |
| Alpheratz | 81.0° | — | 279.0° | — | |
| Eltanin | 10.8° | — | 349.3° | — | |
| Kornephoros | 42.8° | — | 317.2° | — | |
| Rasalhague | 59.7° | — | 300.3° | — | |
| Denebola | 48.6° | — | 311.4° | — | |
| Alhena | 81.3° | — | 278.7° | — | |
| Alphard | 88.9° | — | 271.1° | — | |
| Bharani | 93.4° | — | 266.6° | — | |
| Pushya | 64.4° | — | 295.6° | — | |
| Adhara | 128.3° | — | 231.7° | — | |
| Wezen | 124.2° | — | 235.8° | — | |
| Navi | 44.9° | — | 315.1° | — | |
| Schedar | 49.8° | — | 310.2° | — | |
| Nunki | 111.1° | — | 248.9° | — | |
| Canopus | 164.2° | — | 195.8° | — | |
| Kaus Australis | 116.7° | — | 243.3° | — | |
| Sabik | 89.5° | — | 270.5° | — | |
| Scheat | 78.6° | — | 281.4° | — | |
| Enif | 91.5° | — | 268.4° | — | |
| Diphda | 139.1° | — | 220.9° | — | |
| Alphecca | 30.1° | — | 329.9° | — | |
| Rasalgethi | 55.9° | — | 304.1° | — | |
| Spica | 75.4° | — | 284.6° | — | |
| Zubeneschamali | 74.8° | — | 285.2° | — | |
| Unukalhai | 57.5° | — | 302.5° | — | |
| Murzim | 120.5° | — | 239.5° | — | |
| Phact | 144.8° | — | 215.2° | — | |
| Mirfak | 57.6° | — | 302.4° | — | |
| Vindemiatrix | 49.2° | — | 310.8° | — | |
| Markab | 93.0° | — | 267.0° | — | |
| Algol | 68.8° | — | 291.2° | — | |
| Sadalmelik | 104.9° | — | 255.1° | — | |
| Sadalsuud | 107.0° | — | 253.0° | — | |
| Sun (Summer Solstice) | 62.3° | — | 297.7° | — | |
| Sun (Winter Solstice) | 117.7° | — | 242.3° | — | |
| Sun (Equinox) | 90.0° | — | 270.0° | — | |
| Sun (Northern Cross-Quarter) | 70.6° | — | 289.4° | — | |
| Sun (Southern Cross-Quarter) | 109.4° | — | 250.6° | — | |
| Moon (N Major Standstill) | 55.9° | — | 304.1° | — | |
| Moon (S Major Standstill) | 124.1° | — | 235.9° | — | |
| Moon (N Minor Standstill) | 68.0° | — | 292.0° | — | |
| Moon (S Minor Standstill) | 112.0° | — | 248.0° | — |
Convergence Events (5)
281.6°
Enif Set
Arabic (nose), Persian, Chinese, Hindu
Δ 0.5°
282.8°
Vindemiatrix Set
Babylonian (AB.SIN/furrow), Arabic, Chinese (Taiwei), Roman
Δ 0.8°
280.4°
Altair Set
Japanese (Hikoboshi/Tanabata), Chinese (Cowherd), Arabic
Δ 1.7°
284.0°
Regulus Set
Persian Royal Star (Venant), Hindu (Magha), Babylonian (Sharru), Pawnee
Δ 2.0°
284.7°
Rasalhague Set
Chinese (Tianshi), Arabic, Maya (serpent), Babylonian
Δ 2.7°
Reference Bearings (20 landmarks)
| Landmark | Bearing | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| giza | 282.03° | 4,766 km |
| angkor wat | 125.37° | 3,028 km |
| nazca | 301.61° | 16,997 km |
| teotihuacan | 0.19° | 14,371 km |
| stonehenge | 315.29° | 6,918 km |
| gobekli tepe | 291.79° | 3,928 km |
| machu picchu | 300.83° | 16,682 km |
| easter island | 69.66° | 18,890 km |
| cahokia | 352.85° | 12,211 km |
| sedona | 11.62° | 12,557 km |
| mecca | 265.64° | 4,248 km |
| jerusalem | 283.47° | 4,341 km |
| vatican | 301.99° | 6,108 km |
| lhasa | 96.95° | 953 km |
| kailash | 0.00° | 0 km |
| uluru | 134.10° | 8,203 km |
| tiwanaku | 291.02° | 16,578 km |
| chaco canyon | 8.09° | 12,488 km |
| mt shasta | 18.11° | 11,610 km |
| levis stadium | 19.29° | 12,026 km |
Related Sites — Stellar Alignment