***STAR AXIS IS CURRENTLY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR FUTURE INFO REGARDING THEIR OPEN STATUS***
Star Axis is an architectonic earth/star sculpture constructed with the geometry of the stars; earth-to-star alignments built to human scale. It offers an intimate experience of how the earth's environment extends into the space of the stars.
This architectonic earthwork has five main elements. The Solar Pyramid marks the daily and seasonal movements of the sun across the Shadow Field.
From inside the Hour Chamber you can view one hour of Earth's rotation, and from inside the Equatorial Chamber you can observe the stars that travel directly above the equator.
The Star Tunnel is precisely aligned with Earth's axis. Here the viewer can walk through layers of celestial time, making directly visible the 26,000-year cycle of precession, Earth's shifting alignment with the stars.
The sculpture's name refers to its primary earth/star alignment. It is precisely aligned with Earth's axis, which now points toward our north star Polaris.
The approach to building Star Axis involves gathering a variety of star alignments occurring in different time scales and allowing them to form the architecture.
Star Axis was conceived in 1971 and is presently being constructed on a mesa in New Mexico. At its outside dimensions, Star Axis will be 11 stories high and 1/10th of a mile across.
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