Introduction to the Oval Observatory: "El Caracol" ("El Caracol"), also known as "The Snail", is named after the spiral stone steps inside the circular building. The observatory was built for Quetzalcoatl, the god of wind and learning, and its doors were set up so that one could observe the spring equinoxes, the moon's maximum north-south tilt, and other astronomical phenomena. The Mayans used the shadows cast by the sun on doors to determine the arrival of the summer and winter solstice. Their rather complex and extremely accurate calendar system was determined by observing the stars through the reflection of water in stone cups on the edge of the building.
Attraction