It is difficult to understate the importance of the Sun. In our fast-paced modern world, we have become disconnected from the natural world, hence it is easy to take the Sun for granted. In ancient times, early agricultural communities watched the Sun with great interest. Today, scientists still study the Sun with consuming interest.
Traditions of the Sun is an exploration of the world’s ancient sun observatories by NASA. A series of video podcasts explore the site of Chaco Culture National Historical Park, and discovers how Native Americans combined ceremony with solar observation.
There is still much we don’t understand about the Sun and its effects on Earth. How the Sun affects climate, for example, is not well understood. Our interest in better understanding the mysteries of the Sun, forms a common bond between those who built the great structures of Chaco Canyon and the Yucatan, and people today.
