Equinox at Angkor Wat (ព្រឹត្តិការណ៏សមរាត្រីនៅអង្គរ)

My last article about best sunrise spot in Cambodia, touched a bit on Equinox at Angkor.

Sunrise at 7am, 22 Sept 2020 (iPhone 7plus, non edition)

Today, I would like to show some photos I took from events of two equinox at Angkor (sunrise at the middle tower of Angkor Wat temple). Both of the events, people witness sunrise through the top tower/middle tower of Angkor.

The event can last between 1-3 days in two main season (Spring and Autumn or beginning of Dry season and middle of rainy season in Cambodia). Equinox is the event of when the sun is crossing the sky along the celestial equator, directly above Earth's equator and when day and night is equal.

The equinox happens in many countries but what special this made because the buildings that has been built thousand years ago could combine such a view! It really amazed me about my ancestors from thousands of years ago even built such things based on just astronomy? They did not have telescope!

Spring Equinox

It happens between 20-23 March, every year.

Spring equinox at Angkor (22 Mar 2020)

Autumn Equinox

It happens between 21-23 September, every year.

Angkor before sunrise on Autumn equinox day 22 Sep 2020 (iPhone 7Plus - edited)

iPhone 7Plus on Sunrise 22 Sep 2020

So much cloud on 23 Sept 2020, so I had myself inside the photo (iPhone 7Plus with tripod and edited in Snapseed app)

Where can you see equinox?

• Angkor Wat temple, Cambodia. Normally, very crowded, 2020 with Covid-19, quiet than usual.
• Prasat Phnom Roung in current Thailand (sunrise in the middle of the door)
• Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England
• The El Castillo pyramid (The pyramid of sun) in Chichen Itza, Mexico
• The Basilica San Petronio in Bologna, Italy (hole on the tower to allow sunlight).

Plan for your future equinox experience?

Here, you can see where that will happen!

Tips for the visit:

• Wake up in the morning at around 4am and travel to site (very crowded specially on these equinox days)
• Have the gears ready (very good quality camera), tripod and other things necessary (phone just for a record). 
• Be ready to go for many days in a row. You might be lucky or unlucky to see the clear sun on the first day
• The best place for the scene at the beginning of the passage to Angkor Wat temple (normally, you will see exact sun on the middle top of the tower from here).
• The best event people would see the straight tower and sun was in 2017, read here and with some nice photos of the event here.
• Done - not allowed in Angkor Archeological Park (but can try to seek for permission from APSARA authority first)

This article is not scientific-based, just showing a very small scene from photography perspective where you can experience or witness such beautiful spot which we cannot even believe would exist.