“Ecuador got its name from this line circling the earth and dividing it in the northern and southern hemisphere. Throughout the country you encounter it, sometimes conmemorated by monuments, other times only by a simple painted line or sign.” Vivienne Mackie
At the equator there are two sites and two museums.
“The first is the INTI-NAN SOLAR MUSEUM, which claims to be the “real” equator, as measured and established by GPS.”
“When the GPS measurements were being done, the scientists also found ruins of an Incan Sun Temple directly east from this point, and a Moon Temple directly west, both on the same line, which the Incas called the Sun Line.”
“In contrast, the other site, LA MITAD del MUNDO, was established in 1734.”
“The location of this museum is based on the calculations of the Geodesic Expedition: 10 French scientists, two Spanish scientists, and an Ecuadorian (named Moldonado), who did experiments for 10 years. This equator line’ is only 200-300 m from the other, so actually it was remarkably accurate for that time, and La Mitad still celebrates it as such.”
Filed under: Ecuador, Equator, Quito | Tagged: Add new tag
