Cancún, Quintana Roo — A photographer based in Cancún has received international recognition from NASA for the third time for his image of the Kukulcán pyramid with the Milky Way.
Robert Fedez, originally from Valladolid and living in Cancún for several years, shared the news on social media after NASA selected his photograph as the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD). He expressed gratitude for the honor and highlighted the inspiration from combining natural phenomena with human creativity.
A Scene From the Equinox at Chichén Itzá
The selected photo shows the Castillo de Chichén Itzá on a clear night with the Milky Way sharply defined. NASA’s description notes the visual phenomenon during the equinox at the pyramid, also known as El Castillo or the Temple of Kukulcán in Chichén Itzá, Yucatán.
In the afternoons of those days, shadows from the staircases create triangles that, combined with a serpent head sculpture at the base, produce the illusion of a serpent descending the structure. This effect, resulting from the pyramid’s orientation and design, is considered a key example of Mayan astronomical knowledge.
A Composition With the Milky Way and Planets
According to the APOD explanation, the image is a composite captured in 2019 that also shows the planets Jupiter and Saturn aligned over the central band of the Milky Way. The pyramid, built between the 9th and 12th centuries, stands about 30 meters tall and 55 meters wide at its base. Specialists interpret its design as an architectural system incorporating astronomical and calendrical references.
The recognition coincides with the approaching spring equinox, a phenomenon that will occur globally in the coming days.
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