Shown below is a diagram and discussion of the Observatory and its' alignments. Diagram and discussion courtesy of The Malpais Foundation. |
The south opening is about 1.2m wide and the walls are offset to allow the Spring Equinox sunrise to pass across the southeast opening and through the south opening without hitting the inside of either south wall until well after sunrise.
Winter Solstice sunrise is marked by sunlight coming over the southeast opening and hitting an alter on the inside of the west wall where the wall bends, now marked with a sandstone slab with the letter A.
Winter Solstice sunset emanates from a notch just over the west edge of Pole Knoll, located about 24km southwest of Casa Malpais, and it passes over the south opening, over the east opening, through a boulder field above the calendar, and lands upon a bearclaw petroglyph on the cliff face.
Summer Solstice sunset casts a shadow across a pit outside the west opening, through the west opening, and onto the inside of the east wall just north of the southeast opening.
The observatory is about 26m X 27m, it has five openings, four which are involved with either solstices, equinoxes, or both. The fifth opening aligns with a pointed foundation stone at the center of the south wall to indicate true north.
A white sandstone slab marked with the letter S indicates south.
