New Mexico/Utah
Chaco Canyon 36.0530° N, 107.9559° W
Archeoastronomy
The Mystery of Chaco Canyon Study Guide
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Ancient cultures knew that the sun’s path across the sky, the length of daylight, and the location of the sunrise and sunset all shifted in a regular way throughout the year. This imaginary track across our sky is the ecliptic. Technically speaking, it's a projection of the plane of Earth's orbit around the sun, traced onto our sky. Practically speaking, the ecliptic forms a great circle around the sky and is a useful tool for (colonized) stargazers. The ancients observed the moon's path across the sky and by tracking it alongside of the sun, they developed calendars to predict agricultural rhythms. The moon travels around earth once every 27.322 days in an elliptical orbit, an elongated circle. The Moon is tidally locked with Earth, which means that it spins on its axis exactly once each time it orbits our planet. Because of this, people on Earth only ever see one side of the Moon.
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The Tropic of Cancer lies at 23d 26' 22" (23.4394 degrees) north of the Equator and marks the most northerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon. This event occurs at the June solstice, when the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun to its maximum extent.
What is a solstice? Ancient cultures knew that the sun’s path across the sky, the length of daylight, and the location of the sunrise and sunset all shifted in a regular way throughout the year.
What is an equinox? An equinox is an event in which a planet's subsolar point passes through its Equator. The equinoxes are the only time when both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere experience roughly equal amounts of daytime and nighttime.
Spring Equinox Vernal Equinox 3/20/23 5:24 p.m. EDT Say goodbye to winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At that moment, the sun comes to one of two places where its rays shine directly down on the equator. It will then be shining equally on both halves of the Earth. More precisely at that moment, the sun will be shining directly down on the equator at a point over the Pacific Ocean, roughly 1,900 miles (3,100 km) southeast of the Hawaiian Islands.
Summer Solstice June Solstice 6/21/23 On this solstice, the sun will be directly overhead at noon as viewed from the Tropic of Cancer. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice marks the shortest nights and longest days of the year. The Tropic of Cancer lies at 23d 26' 22" (23.4394 degrees) north of the Equator and marks the most northerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon. This event occurs at the June solstice, when the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun to its maximum extent.
Autumn Equinox 9/23/23 What happens at autumn equinox? Two moments in the year when the Sun is exactly above the Equator and day and night are of equal length; also, either of the two points in the sky where the ecliptic (the Sun's annual pathway) and the celestial equator intersect.Jan 20, 2023
Winter Solstice 12/12/23 At the winter solstice the Sun travels the shortest path through the sky, and that day therefore has the least daylight and the longest night. When the winter solstice happens in the Northern Hemisphere, the North Pole is tilted about 23.4° (23°27′) away from the Sun.
What is an equinox? An equinox is an event in which a planet's subsolar point passes through its Equator. The equinoxes are the only time when both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere experience roughly equal amounts of daytime and nighttime.
Spring Equinox Vernal Equinox 3/20/23 5:24 p.m. EDT Say goodbye to winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At that moment, the sun comes to one of two places where its rays shine directly down on the equator. It will then be shining equally on both halves of the Earth. More precisely at that moment, the sun will be shining directly down on the equator at a point over the Pacific Ocean, roughly 1,900 miles (3,100 km) southeast of the Hawaiian Islands.
Summer Solstice June Solstice 6/21/23 On this solstice, the sun will be directly overhead at noon as viewed from the Tropic of Cancer. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice marks the shortest nights and longest days of the year. The Tropic of Cancer lies at 23d 26' 22" (23.4394 degrees) north of the Equator and marks the most northerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon. This event occurs at the June solstice, when the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun to its maximum extent.
Autumn Equinox 9/23/23 What happens at autumn equinox? Two moments in the year when the Sun is exactly above the Equator and day and night are of equal length; also, either of the two points in the sky where the ecliptic (the Sun's annual pathway) and the celestial equator intersect.Jan 20, 2023
Winter Solstice 12/12/23 At the winter solstice the Sun travels the shortest path through the sky, and that day therefore has the least daylight and the longest night. When the winter solstice happens in the Northern Hemisphere, the North Pole is tilted about 23.4° (23°27′) away from the Sun.
Itinerary
Camping for Chaco Canyon
| alternative-camping-2017.pdf |
1868 mi., 18 days
Cheyenne to Alamosa KOA - 320 mmi., 5.5 hrs. - 1 day Mar. 28
Great Sand Dunes National Park (Alamosa CO) - 1 day Mar. 29
Alamosa to Albuquerque - 231 mi., 4 hrs. - 1/2 day. & 2-1/2 days in Albuquerque - 3 days
Mar. 30 - Apr. 1
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
The Solstice Project
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science The Sun Dagger Explorer Model
Indian Pueblo Kitchen - Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Albuquerque to Pueblo Jemez - 45 mi., 1 hr. - travel and see Pueblo Jemez, 1 day April 1
Pueblo Jemez to Chaco - 146 mi., 2.5 hrs. & 4 days camping - Apr. 2-6
Chaco to Farmington - 80 mi., 2 hrs. 1 day Apr. 6-7
Aztec Ruins NM Ruins Road RV Park Alex Benally's Hogan
Farmington through Monument Valley - to Valley of the Gods UT - 190 mi., 4 hrs. - 1 day Apr. 8
Valley of the Gods to Moab UT - 128 mi. 2.25 hrs. - 1 day - Apr. 9
Visit Moab area - 2 days - Apr. 9-10
Canyonlands NP Island in the Sky Campground
Dead Horse Point State Park - Campground
Moab to SLC - 244 mi., 4 hrs. - 1 day Apr. 11
Tracy Aviary 1 day Apr. 12
SLC to Syracuse and Antelope Island - 44 mi., 45 mins. 1 day - Apr. 13
Antelope Island through Evanston to Rock Springs WY & Red Desert - 185 mi., 3 hrs. - Apr. 14
Rock Springs to Cheyenne - 260 mi., 4 hrs. - Apr. 15
Pueblo Jemez to Albuquerque - 45 mi., 1 hr. - Day 4, Apr. 3
The Solstice Project
Indian Pueblo Kitchen - Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Albuquerque to Chaco Canyon - 156 mi., 3 hrs. Days 4-8 April 2-5
Chaco Canyon to Monument Valley AZ - 231 mi., 4.5 hrs.
Monument Valley to Valley of the Gods UT - 34 mi., 1 hr. - Day 9
Valley of the Gods to Moab UT - 128 mi. 2.25 hrs. - Days 10-11
Moab to Provo - 191 mi., 3,25 hrs. - Day 12
Provo to SLC - 44 mi., 45 mins. - Day 13
SLC to Evanston WY - 85 mi., 1.5 hrs. - Day 14
Evanston to Rock Springs - 100 mi., 1 hr. 45 min. Day 15
Rock Springs to Cheyenne - 260 mi., 4 hrs. - Day 16
Cheyenne to Alamosa KOA - 320 mmi., 5.5 hrs. - 1 day Mar. 28
Great Sand Dunes National Park (Alamosa CO) - 1 day Mar. 29
Alamosa to Albuquerque - 231 mi., 4 hrs. - 1/2 day. & 2-1/2 days in Albuquerque - 3 days
Mar. 30 - Apr. 1
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
The Solstice Project
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science The Sun Dagger Explorer Model
Indian Pueblo Kitchen - Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Albuquerque to Pueblo Jemez - 45 mi., 1 hr. - travel and see Pueblo Jemez, 1 day April 1
Pueblo Jemez to Chaco - 146 mi., 2.5 hrs. & 4 days camping - Apr. 2-6
Chaco to Farmington - 80 mi., 2 hrs. 1 day Apr. 6-7
Aztec Ruins NM Ruins Road RV Park Alex Benally's Hogan
Farmington through Monument Valley - to Valley of the Gods UT - 190 mi., 4 hrs. - 1 day Apr. 8
Valley of the Gods to Moab UT - 128 mi. 2.25 hrs. - 1 day - Apr. 9
Visit Moab area - 2 days - Apr. 9-10
Canyonlands NP Island in the Sky Campground
Dead Horse Point State Park - Campground
Moab to SLC - 244 mi., 4 hrs. - 1 day Apr. 11
Tracy Aviary 1 day Apr. 12
SLC to Syracuse and Antelope Island - 44 mi., 45 mins. 1 day - Apr. 13
Antelope Island through Evanston to Rock Springs WY & Red Desert - 185 mi., 3 hrs. - Apr. 14
Rock Springs to Cheyenne - 260 mi., 4 hrs. - Apr. 15
Pueblo Jemez to Albuquerque - 45 mi., 1 hr. - Day 4, Apr. 3
The Solstice Project
Indian Pueblo Kitchen - Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Albuquerque to Chaco Canyon - 156 mi., 3 hrs. Days 4-8 April 2-5
Chaco Canyon to Monument Valley AZ - 231 mi., 4.5 hrs.
Monument Valley to Valley of the Gods UT - 34 mi., 1 hr. - Day 9
Valley of the Gods to Moab UT - 128 mi. 2.25 hrs. - Days 10-11
Moab to Provo - 191 mi., 3,25 hrs. - Day 12
Provo to SLC - 44 mi., 45 mins. - Day 13
SLC to Evanston WY - 85 mi., 1.5 hrs. - Day 14
Evanston to Rock Springs - 100 mi., 1 hr. 45 min. Day 15
Rock Springs to Cheyenne - 260 mi., 4 hrs. - Day 16
Resources
The Navajo Transitional Energy Company Farmington
Native America
Pueblos
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Gateway to the 19 Pueblos in New Mexico
Petroglyph National Monument (Albuquerque)
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Gateway to the 19 Pueblos in New Mexico
Petroglyph National Monument (Albuquerque)
Pecos National Historic Park New Mexico