At Pueblo Bonito's great kiva, Anna Sofaer talks to a group of supporters, volunteers, and friends of Solstice Project about solar and lunar alignments of the Chacoan buildings. Here she shows the cardinal alignment of the building's great kiva.
The group views the north-south mid-wall of Pueblo Bonito at solar noon. In this photo, the shadow has receded into the wall just as the sun transits the meridian, as it does each day at solar noon.
At the long back wall of Chetro Ketl Anna Sofaer discusses its alignment to the minor standstill of the moon.
At the great kiva of Chetro Ketl, Anna Sofaer discusses how the seasonal shifts in the altitude of the sun could have been observed by the Chacoans. Shadow and light patterns of the sun's passage through the day could have beeen used for orientation as well.
The group assembles at the south wall of Pueblo Bonito to view the sun setting in alignment with this wall.
The sun sets along the south wall of Pueblo Bonito.
A blank photo here because unfortunately it was too dark to photograph our crowning event of the day - the full moon rising in the east along Pueblo Bonito's south wall. It was a beautiful end to a most interesting day.