Byrd Wrote:
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> You can't see Sirius rising from any point in the
> temple -- or indeed any sunrise.
You can use the front or back wall as visor line, simple. But yes, there is no visible feature for the casual local visitor as the 18° rotation angle from north is only visible on aerial maps. Even a compass wouldn't help as true north is in most locations on Earth not equal to magnetic Earth north. The roof temple in the Western corner with its open walls would be perfect to install a wooden visor instrument to measure the star positions to predict the Sirius rising day. The astronomers of that time certainly would keep their knowledge secret. What advantage for them would it have to tell it the public?
> it is more likely that the direction indicates the constellation Taweret
That's the name for the constellation of Draco, which is located near the celestial pole. I have seen some speculative papers talking about the temple's long axis pointing to Draco. In principle that would make sense, as you could see it when standing in the center of the temple and viewing through the large entrance opening which points 18° to the right from the celestial pole.
But I haven't seen any geometric / astrometric explanation how to define "aligned to Draco" as the constellation is rotating once every day around the celestial pole. There isn't any special day in the year where it suddenly becomes visible, like you have with Sirius, well defined to the second. Can you elaborate more how to define geometrically "aligned to Taweret"?
> If they'd wanted it for Sirius, they would have pointed the entrance toward the location where it
> was expected to rise, so they could see and celebrate it and welcome it with offerings...not
> 90 degrees away from that point.
In the pure geometric way that would indeed make more sense, but then every casual observer walking into the temple could see the secret. So the Tawaret / Draco story could be some brainfog deliberately created to misguide too curious researchers.