{"next":"2026-03-16","photo":{"source":"nasa","date":"2026-03-15","cid":"bafkreidd2gjklv47qunfs2qxmfmalqq65lwd44zg37axdozzlu666l444u","title":"Equinox at the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent","explanation":"To see the feathered serpent descend the Mayan pyramid requires exquisite timing.  You must visit El Castillo -- in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula -- near an equinox.  Then, during the late afternoon if the sky is clear, the pyramid's own shadows create triangles that merge into the famous illusion of a slithering viper.  Also known as the Temple of Kukulkan, the impressive step-pyramid stands 30 meters tall and 55 meters wide at the base.  Built up as a series of square terraces by the pre-Columbian civilization between the 9th and 12th century, the structure can be used as a calendar and is noted for astronomical alignments. The featured composite image was captured in 2019 with Jupiter and Saturn straddling the diagonal central band of our Milky Way galaxy. In a few days another equinox will occur -- not only at Temple of Kukulcán, but all over planet Earth.","imageUrl":"https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2603/MayanMilkyWay_Fernandez_1600.jpg","thumbUrl":"https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2603/MayanMilkyWay_Fernandez_1080.jpg","mediaType":"image","credit":"Robert Fedez","sourceUrl":"https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260315.html","placeholder":false,"fetchedAt":"2026-05-19T04:34:10Z"},"prev":"2026-03-14","source":"nasa"}