Look closely and you"ll see a snake slithering down the steps of the Temple of Kukulcan (aka El Castillo or The Castle), in Chichen Itza, Mexico. Not a real snake, it"s an image created by natural light and shadows only during the spring and fall equinoxes. The equinox (which means equal night in Latin) is either of the two times each year—like today, the first day of fall—when the Earth"s orbit and position cause the sun to pass directly over the equator, creating equal amounts of daylight and darkness. According to Mayan legend, on both equinoxes this pyramid is visited by Kukulcan, the feathered serpent god. Thousands of spectators gather to watch and celebrate as seven triangles of light slide down the pyramid, illustrating Kukulcan"s descent.
Stepping into autumn
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Travel Sunday: Sintra, Portugal
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Infinity Day
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Blue paradise on the Costa Brava
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Porto Cathedral, Portugal
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Happy Syttende Mai!
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Helloooooo, Innsbruck
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Boxing Day—a shopper’s delight
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A personal collection becomes an institution
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Have you turned off your electronic device?
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Classical music takes center stage
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Victory in Europe, 75 years ago
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‘The memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever’
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World Theater Day
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Take me to the river
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Waimea Canyon and Waipoo Falls, Kauai, Hawaii
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Friendship Day in the City of Brotherly Love
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Seville celebrates first world tour
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Pamukkale, Turkey
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A wonderland in winter
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National Merry-Go-Round Day
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What s going on in this sky?
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Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy
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Reflections of the night sky
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Old man s whiskers growing wild
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Agüero, Huesca province, Spain
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Its Halfway Day!
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Hemingway’s Keys
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National Park Week: Olympic National Park, Washington
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Looking for peace on the precipice
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Cherry blossoms spring to life