Shop Windows to the Universe

Young Voices for the Planet DVD in our online store includes 8 films where students speak out and take action on climate change.

Mythology of the Mayas

Visit the links below to learn about Mayan myths related to objects in the sky, and aspects of their world.

Back to the World Map
Maya astronomers had a remarkably accurate knowledge of the apparent motion of <a href="/venus/venus.html&edu=elem">Venus</a>. They knew on what day Venus would appear again in the east after it had disappeared in the west. Venus, the morning star, was the patron planet of warfare.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Windows to the Universe</em></small></p>

Windows to the Universe Community

News

Opportunities

Upcoming W2U Events
Join Today - Benefits,
No Ads!
Special Offers for Teachers
Member Benefits
Teacher Newsletter
Partnership Opportunities

Explore Mythology of the Mayas

The Earth: Bacabs

The Maya believed the Earth was flat with four corners. Each corner was a direction shown by ...Read more

The Rain: Xib Chac

Xib Chac was the Mayan rain god. He was a fair god, and was shown by many colors. He was often ...Read more

The Moon: Ix Chel

Ix Chel, the "Lady Rainbow," was the Moon goddess in Mayan mythology. The Mayans associated ...Read more

Venus: Kukulcan

The ancient Mayans used the doorways and windows of their buildings to look at things in space. ...Read more

The Planet Mars

Mayans were sophisticated observers of the sky. Mayans used their astronomical knowledge to ...Read more

The Milky Way

Mayans seem to have thought of the Milky Way as the road along which souls walk into the underworld. ...Read more

Historical Events

3/13 William Herschel discovered Uranus on this date in 1781 Details
3/13 F5 tornado hits Hesston and Goessel, Kansas, in 1990, part of a major Central US tornado outbreak
3/14 Giovanni Schiaparelli, Italian astronomer, born on this date in 1835 Details

Full Earth and Space Science    History Calendar (Members only)

Teacher Opportunities

3/14 AMS Summer Workshops for K-12 Educators - The Maury Project
Details

3/15 Endangered Species Youth Art Contest
Details

3/27 4th Annual Green Schools National Conference
Details

Full Teacher Events Calendar (Educator Members only)

Did you know?

Did you know that scientists have found rock eating bacteria at the bottom of the sea?

Did you know that igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks, and metamorphic rocks are all connected through the ?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Dip-slip fault
xDip-slip fault : Dip-slip faults are inclined fractures where the blocks have mostly shifted vertically. If the rock mass above an inclined fault moves down, the fault is termed normal, whereas if the rock above the fault moves up, the fault is termed reverse.

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

Even in the Desert, Plants Feel the Heat of Global Warming

Scientists who study plants in the Sonoran Desert are worried about global warming. Desert winters have become warmer and drier over the years, and climate changes have pushed the arrival of winter rains...Read more


Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation and NASA, our Founding Partners (the American Geophysical Union and American Geosciences Institute) as well as through Institutional, Contributing, and Affiliate Partners, individual memberships and generous donors. Thank you for your support! NASA AGU AGI NSF