Observing the Sun Ark by the column's shade size
Besides the basic two solstice columns to measure time by sun observation from the an Eastern or Western observation point, there is a another way using the shade of a column as the sun reaches the Northern or Southern Meridian, an imaginary line half way from the ark that the sun describes in his daily trajectory theoretically over our Equator line since the sun doesn’t go around but is the earth that orbits the sun.
The summer sun reaches a higher altitude than the winter sun and in between the months of the year, as a result during the day the shade elongation also varies in size in this period and in the daily basics behaves as a solar clock as the shade travels from east to west fallowing the sun trajectory.
This effect is also achieved because of earth tilt effect in its orbits go around the sun at different angles depending entirely on the tilt inclination angle at determinate date.
Is very important to notice that this special meridian in the northern hemisphere is place in the south and in the Southern hemisphere is at the North point for the reason that the sun ark apparently take place over the Equator.
Observing the position of Chanquillo or Chankillo columns is evident that the this columns besides the purpose of solstices and equinox observation they were also made for the meridian observations as there is a shade between the columns during this daily event, otherwise three columns will had been sufficient for equinoxes or even two to signal only solstices.
The summer sun reaches a higher altitude than the winter sun and in between the months of the year, as a result during the day the shade elongation also varies in size in this period and in the daily basics behaves as a solar clock as the shade travels from east to west fallowing the sun trajectory.
This effect is also achieved because of earth tilt effect in its orbits go around the sun at different angles depending entirely on the tilt inclination angle at determinate date.
Is very important to notice that this special meridian in the northern hemisphere is place in the south and in the Southern hemisphere is at the North point for the reason that the sun ark apparently take place over the Equator.
Observing the position of Chanquillo or Chankillo columns is evident that the this columns besides the purpose of solstices and equinox observation they were also made for the meridian observations as there is a shade between the columns during this daily event, otherwise three columns will had been sufficient for equinoxes or even two to signal only solstices.
