Volume 4 Number 2
• Feature Article • Site Visit • TechNews • JobsNW
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The Chaco Canyon installment in the Ancient Observatories series is designed to help teachers introduce students to the field of archeoastronomy, the study of astronomy of ancient cultures. Available in both Flash/broadband and an html version for slower connections, the site includes a wealth of documentation of astronomical observations conducted from Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, from petroglyphs to NASA photographs. For example, see a 1997 photograph showing a supernova in a distant galaxy compared with a petroglyph created in AD 1054, thought to be a representation of a supernova in our own galaxy. There are also maps, animations showing seasonal alignments of the sun, and a time-lapse Quicktime movie showing how sunlight changes throughout the day at Chaco. Links are provided to NASA's Sun-Earth Day main site, featuring other ancient observatories, such as Stonehenge, and Sun Watchers Through Time. Source: The Scout Report.
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