This place feels like another planet to me. The Pueblo people were out here studying astronomy thousands of years ago, and I can see why. The desert night sky is the clearest I’ve ever seen, and I can’t imagine how it looked before modern pollution. It’s not hard to stare into the stars, getting lost wondering what could really be out there. While we visited, an astrological event that hadn’t happened for 800 years occurred again. During the winter solstice, Jupiter and Saturn crossed paths to become the bright “Christmas Star.” It’s said to be what lead the wise men to Bethlehem in the Bible. Even though that story took place on the other side of the world, everyone on earth could see the star, including Mesa Verde.

Curiously, a site called the ‘Sun Temple’ at Mesa Verde National Park was built about 800 years ago, thought to have been used for solstice viewings. It’s hard to believe the Pueblo people ignored this major event happening in their skies. They may have even anticipated it. Not much is known about the temple, and I really don’t know if the star was important to them. Still, I had a feeling someone once stood here, 800 years ago, looking up in awe just as I was.