Phimai is the largest Khmer temple in Thailand — connected to Angkor Wat by the Ancient Khmer Highway across 225 km of jungle. Its unusual southeast orientation, facing toward Angkor, reverses the standard westward alignment of Khmer temples. Remarkably, Phimai was built as a Mahayana Buddhist temple during a predominantly Hindu era because local populations had practiced Buddhism since the 7th century. The enclosed area rivals Angkor Wat in scale. White sandstone rather than the gray of Angkor gives Phimai a luminous quality. At 296.51° Giza bearing, the temple marks the northeastern reach of the Khmer geometric network.
Stellar Alignments (89 stars)
| Star ▴ | Rise Az ▴ | Rise Δ ▴ | Set Az ▴ | Set Δ ▴ | Tradition ▴ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleiades (Alcyone) | 87.1° | — | 272.9° | — | |
| Orion's Belt (Alnilam) | 105.1° | — | 254.9° | — | |
| Sirius | 111.5° | — | 248.4° | — | |
| Thuban | — | — | — | — | |
| Vega | 45.4° | — | 314.6° | — | |
| Regulus | 65.1° | — | 294.9° | — | |
| Aldebaran | 92.0° | — | 268.0° | — | |
| Antares | 97.3° | — | 262.7° | — | |
| Fomalhaut | 136.3° | — | 223.7° | — | |
| Arcturus | 42.5° | — | 317.4° | — | |
| Galactic Center (Sgr A*) | 105.2° | — | 254.8° | — | |
| Galactic Anti-Center | 74.9° | — | 285.1° | — | |
| Deneb | 52.0° | — | 308.0° | — | |
| Capella | 59.8° | — | 300.2° | — | |
| Castor | 61.9° | — | 298.1° | — | |
| Pollux | 64.3° | — | 295.7° | — | |
| Procyon | 85.2° | — | 274.8° | — | |
| Betelgeuse | 95.0° | — | 265.0° | — | |
| Rigel | 113.8° | — | 246.2° | — | |
| Bellatrix | 98.6° | — | 261.4° | — | |
| Achernar | — | — | — | — | |
| Acrux | 132.1° | — | 227.9° | — | |
| Mimosa | 128.1° | — | 231.9° | — | |
| Altair | 81.2° | — | 278.8° | — | |
| Kochab | — | — | — | — | |
| Dubhe | 11.3° | — | 348.7° | — | |
| Alkaid | 7.4° | — | 352.6° | — | |
| Mizar | — | — | — | — | |
| Hamal | 90.2° | — | 269.8° | — | |
| Zubenelgenubi | 82.5° | — | 277.5° | — | |
| Alnitak | 105.4° | — | 254.6° | — | |
| Mintaka | 104.6° | — | 255.4° | — | |
| Saiph | 112.3° | — | 247.7° | — | |
| Peacock | 145.2° | — | 214.8° | — | |
| Miaplacidus | 147.3° | — | 212.7° | — | |
| Rigil Kentaurus | 130.1° | — | 229.9° | — | |
| Hadar | 128.1° | — | 231.9° | — | |
| Gacrux | 125.4° | — | 234.6° | — | |
| Naos | 126.8° | — | 233.2° | — | |
| Suhail | 124.0° | — | 236.1° | — | |
| Avior | 142.5° | — | 217.5° | — | |
| Atria | 140.8° | — | 219.2° | — | |
| Regor | 132.9° | — | 227.1° | — | |
| Alsephina | 136.3° | — | 223.7° | — | |
| Shaula | 112.1° | — | 247.9° | — | |
| Ankaa | 156.9° | — | 203.1° | — | |
| Menkent | 102.4° | — | 257.6° | — | |
| Alpheratz | 82.0° | — | 278.0° | — | |
| Eltanin | 29.3° | — | 330.7° | — | |
| Kornephoros | 49.4° | — | 310.6° | — | |
| Rasalhague | 63.4° | — | 296.6° | — | |
| Denebola | 54.0° | — | 305.9° | — | |
| Alhena | 82.3° | — | 277.7° | — | |
| Alphard | 89.0° | — | 271.0° | — | |
| Bharani | 93.0° | — | 267.0° | — | |
| Pushya | 67.5° | — | 292.5° | — | |
| Adhara | 123.4° | — | 236.6° | — | |
| Wezen | 120.0° | — | 240.0° | — | |
| Navi | 51.0° | — | 309.0° | — | |
| Schedar | 55.0° | — | 305.0° | — | |
| Nunki | 108.7° | — | 251.3° | — | |
| Canopus | 148.7° | — | 211.3° | — | |
| Kaus Australis | 113.5° | — | 246.5° | — | |
| Sabik | 89.5° | — | 270.5° | — | |
| Scheat | 79.9° | — | 280.1° | — | |
| Enif | 91.4° | — | 268.6° | — | |
| Diphda | 132.1° | — | 227.9° | — | |
| Alphecca | 39.8° | — | 320.2° | — | |
| Rasalgethi | 60.1° | — | 299.9° | — | |
| Spica | 77.1° | — | 282.9° | — | |
| Zubeneschamali | 76.5° | — | 283.5° | — | |
| Unukalhai | 61.5° | — | 298.4° | — | |
| Murzim | 116.8° | — | 243.2° | — | |
| Phact | 136.5° | — | 223.5° | — | |
| Mirfak | 61.6° | — | 298.4° | — | |
| Vindemiatrix | 54.6° | — | 305.4° | — | |
| Markab | 92.6° | — | 267.4° | — | |
| Algol | 71.3° | — | 288.7° | — | |
| Sadalmelik | 103.2° | — | 256.8° | — | |
| Sadalsuud | 105.0° | — | 254.9° | — | |
| Sun (Summer Solstice) | 65.7° | — | 294.4° | — | |
| Sun (Winter Solstice) | 114.3° | — | 245.7° | — | |
| Sun (Equinox) | 90.0° | — | 270.0° | — | |
| Sun (Northern Cross-Quarter) | 72.9° | — | 287.1° | — | |
| Sun (Southern Cross-Quarter) | 107.1° | — | 252.9° | — | |
| Moon (N Major Standstill) | 60.1° | — | 299.9° | — | |
| Moon (S Major Standstill) | 119.9° | — | 240.1° | — | |
| Moon (N Minor Standstill) | 70.6° | — | 289.4° | — | |
| Moon (S Minor Standstill) | 109.4° | — | 250.6° | — |
Convergence Events (7)
297.8°
Alphecca Set
Celtic (Caer Arianrhod), Arabic, Aboriginal, Pawnee (council ring)
Δ 1.3°
295.0°
Pleiades (Alcyone) Set
Maya, Greek, Aboriginal, Hindu (Krittika), Japanese (Subaru)
Δ 1.5°
298.3°
Bharani (41 Arietis) Set
Hindu/Vedic (death/rebirth nakshatra), IAU named
Δ 1.8°
294.4°
Hamal Set
Babylonian, Arabic (the ram), Hindu, Chinese
Δ 2.1°
294.4°
Summer Solstice Sunset
Universal
Δ 2.2°
299.1°
Pollux Set
Greek (Dioscuri), Hindu (Punarvasu), Chinese, Arabic
Δ 2.6°
299.2°
Scheat Set
Hindu (Purva Bhadrapada), Arabic, Chinese, Persian
Δ 2.7°
Reference Bearings (20 landmarks)
| Landmark | Bearing | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| giza | 296.51° | 7,397 km |
| angkor wat | 143.48° | 250 km |
| nazca | 281.02° | 19,741 km |
| teotihuacan | 31.67° | 15,486 km |
| stonehenge | 322.53° | 9,657 km |
| gobekli tepe | 304.53° | 6,666 km |
| machu picchu | 292.54° | 19,433 km |
| easter island | 117.19° | 16,472 km |
| cahokia | 11.94° | 13,883 km |
| sedona | 32.33° | 13,375 km |
| mecca | 286.20° | 6,610 km |
| jerusalem | 298.27° | 6,998 km |
| vatican | 310.89° | 8,888 km |
| lhasa | 325.96° | 1,983 km |
| kailash | 312.96° | 2,782 km |
| uluru | 145.21° | 5,469 km |
| tiwanaku | 259.88° | 19,059 km |
| chaco canyon | 28.62° | 13,476 km |
| mt shasta | 34.27° | 12,224 km |
| levis stadium | 37.13° | 12,543 km |
Related Sites — Giza / Orion Extraction