Secret Architecture
Sunset OK, let's stay with his "sunset" assertion, and take a look at page 82 from his book, where he talks about the westerly arc of the setting sun. Notice that when facing the sunset, we are looking WEST, yet he has the image marked E here. Doh! The point that he is making on that page and illustration, is that in it's yearly path, at the latitude of Washington, DC, the sun makes a 62 degree arc across the western horizon at sundown; moving 31 degrees north of west in June, and 31 degrees south of west in Decmeber. If I could, I would like to begin with the high pass of the sun, which Ovason identifies as the Solstice, and which sees the sun setting at 31 degrees north of due west at the Latitude of DC. Next we see the August 10th sunset, which Ovason claims is the key to this puzzle. September sees the equinox, where night and day are of equal lengths, and the sun crosses the equator, this time heading south for the winter. By Novemeber, the sun has moved to about 20 degrees south of due west, that being the end of Maryland Avenue, and the location of the Jefferson Memorial, as seen from the Capitol Building. In December, the sun marks it's south most position at the winter solstice, where it sets 31 degrees south of due west that day from the latitude of DC. Then as is the habit in nature, the pattern repeats itself, with the sun setting on Maryland Ave and the Jeff Mml again in February. Due west again at the vernal equinox in March. In May we see the sun make it's return trip to Pennsylvania Avenue, the very same place that we see it in August, where we see it once again set over the White House. One Day What then are we to make of Ovason's comments about "one day" on pages 239 and 250, where he says, "Both L'Enfant and Ellicott would have insisted that only one day (which is to say, one sunset) would make the precise orientation between the Capitol and the President's House". He is speaking here, of course, of the August sunset over the White House. I repeat- the sun sets over the Washington Monument in March, over the White House in MAY, moving north, then AGAIN in AUGUST, on it's southward path. The sun set there TWICE a year. His arguement collapses here. Continue

Secret Architecture

Sunset
OK, let's stay with his "sunset" assertion, and take a look at page 82 from his book, where he talks about the westerly arc of the setting sun. Notice that when facing the sunset, we are looking WEST, yet he has the image marked E here. Doh!

The point that he is making on that page and illustration, is that in it's yearly path, at the latitude of Washington, DC, the sun makes a 62 degree arc across the western horizon at sundown; moving 31 degrees north of west in June, and 31 degrees south of west in Decmeber.
If I could, I would like to begin with the high pass of the sun, which Ovason identifies as the Solstice, and which sees the sun setting at 31 degrees north of due west at the Latitude of DC.

Next we see the August 10th sunset, which Ovason claims is the key to this puzzle.

September sees the equinox, where night and day are of equal lengths, and the sun crosses the equator, this time heading south for the winter.

By Novemeber, the sun has moved to about 20 degrees south of due west, that being the end of Maryland Avenue, and the location of the Jefferson Memorial, as seen from the Capitol Building.

In December, the sun marks it's south most position at the winter solstice, where it sets 31 degrees south of due west that day from the latitude of DC.

Then as is the habit in nature, the pattern repeats itself, with the sun setting on Maryland Ave and the Jeff Mml again in February.

Due west again at the vernal equinox in March.

In May we see the sun make it's return trip to Pennsylvania Avenue, the very same place that we see it in August, where we see it once again set over the White House.

One Day
What then are we to make of Ovason's comments about "one day" on pages 239 and 250, where he says, "Both L'Enfant and Ellicott would have insisted that only one day (which is to say, one sunset) would make the precise orientation between the Capitol and the President's House". He is speaking here, of course, of the August sunset over the White House. I repeat- the sun sets over the Washington Monument in March, over the White House in MAY, moving north, then AGAIN in AUGUST, on it's southward path. The sun set there TWICE a year. His arguement collapses here.

Continue