Temple I (Temple of the Great Jaguar) at Tikal rises 47 meters above the Great Plaza — the iconic silhouette of Maya civilization. Built around 734 CE as the funerary pyramid of Jasaw Chan K'awiil I, who restored Tikal's power after the humiliating "Star War" defeat by Caracol in 562 CE, the temple contains a royal burial with jade ornaments, jaguar pelts, and carved bone tubes depicting the king's journey to the underworld in a canoe. The temple's massive roof comb, originally decorated with a seated portrait of the king, amplified sound from the plaza below — a handclap between Temples I and II produces reverberations audible across the ceremonial center. At Giza bearing 50.74° and 11,784 km from the Pyramid Plateau, Temple I faces Temple II (built for Jasaw's queen) across the Great Plaza, creating a dialogue between male and female, east and west, rising and setting. The nine terraced levels encode the nine lords of the Maya underworld.
| 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 | 44.8° | — | 315.2° | — | |
| Regulus | 64.8° | — | 295.2° | — | |
| Aldebaran | 92.0° | — | 268.0° | — | |
| Antares | 97.4° | — | 262.6° | — | |
| Fomalhaut | 136.9° | — | 223.1° | — | |
| Arcturus | 41.9° | — | 318.1° | — | |
| 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 | 7.8° | — | 352.1° | — | |
| Alkaid | — | — | — | — | |
| Mizar | — | — | — | — | |
| Hamal | 90.2° | — | 269.8° | — | |
| Zubenelgenubi | 82.4° | — | 277.6° | — | |
| Alnitak | 105.6° | — | 254.4° | — | |
| Mintaka | 104.7° | — | 255.3° | — | |
| Saiph | 112.5° | — | 247.5° | — | |
| Peacock | 146.0° | — | 214.0° | — | |
| Miaplacidus | 148.2° | — | 211.8° | — | |
| Rigil Kentaurus | 130.6° | — | 229.4° | — | |
| Hadar | 128.6° | — | 231.4° | — | |
| Gacrux | 125.8° | — | 234.2° | — | |
| Naos | 127.3° | — | 232.7° | — | |
| Suhail | 124.3° | — | 235.7° | — | |
| Avior | 143.2° | — | 216.8° | — | |
| Atria | 141.6° | — | 218.4° | — | |
| Regor | 133.5° | — | 226.5° | — | |
| Alsephina | 136.9° | — | 223.1° | — | |
| Shaula | 112.4° | — | 247.6° | — | |
| Ankaa | 158.3° | — | 201.7° | — | |
| Menkent | 102.5° | — | 257.5° | — | |
| Alpheratz | 81.9° | — | 278.1° | — | |
| Eltanin | 28.2° | — | 331.8° | — | |
| Kornephoros | 48.8° | — | 311.2° | — | |
| Rasalhague | 63.1° | — | 296.9° | — | |
| Denebola | 53.6° | — | 306.4° | — | |
| Alhena | 82.2° | — | 277.8° | — | |
| Alphard | 89.0° | — | 271.0° | — | |
| Bharani | 93.0° | — | 267.0° | — | |
| Pushya | 67.2° | — | 292.8° | — | |
| Adhara | 123.8° | — | 236.2° | — | |
| Wezen | 120.3° | — | 239.7° | — | |
| Navi | 50.5° | — | 309.5° | — | |
| Schedar | 54.6° | — | 305.4° | — | |
| Nunki | 108.9° | — | 251.1° | — | |
| Canopus | 149.6° | — | 210.4° | — | |
| Kaus Australis | 113.7° | — | 246.3° | — | |
| Sabik | 89.5° | — | 270.5° | — | |
| Scheat | 79.8° | — | 280.2° | — | |
| Enif | 91.4° | — | 268.6° | — | |
| Diphda | 132.7° | — | 227.3° | — | |
| Alphecca | 39.1° | — | 320.9° | — | |
| Rasalgethi | 59.8° | — | 300.2° | — | |
| Spica | 76.9° | — | 283.1° | — | |
| Zubeneschamali | 76.4° | — | 283.6° | — | |
| Unukalhai | 61.2° | — | 298.8° | — | |
| Murzim | 117.1° | — | 242.9° | — | |
| Phact | 137.2° | — | 222.8° | — | |
| Mirfak | 61.3° | — | 298.7° | — | |
| Vindemiatrix | 54.1° | — | 305.9° | — | |
| Markab | 92.7° | — | 267.4° | — | |
| Algol | 71.1° | — | 288.9° | — | |
| Sadalmelik | 103.4° | — | 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° | — |
| Landmark | Bearing | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| giza | 50.74° | 11,784 km |
| angkor wat | 335.66° | 16,301 km |
| nazca | 154.85° | 3,899 km |
| teotihuacan | 287.20° | 1,010 km |
| stonehenge | 40.36° | 8,373 km |
| gobekli tepe | 40.67° | 11,914 km |
| machu picchu | 149.89° | 3,864 km |
| easter island | 203.73° | 5,369 km |
| cahokia | 359.06° | 2,384 km |
| sedona | 316.08° | 2,943 km |
| mecca | 53.91° | 13,030 km |
| jerusalem | 47.18° | 12,002 km |
| vatican | 46.78° | 9,695 km |
| lhasa | 359.12° | 14,802 km |
| kailash | 10.29° | 14,559 km |
| uluru | 250.73° | 15,724 km |
| tiwanaku | 147.46° | 4,402 km |
| chaco canyon | 322.80° | 2,766 km |
| mt shasta | 317.54° | 4,107 km |
| levis stadium | 311.91° | 3,873 km |