Milky Way and Planets Above Sukhothai

A starry night at the Temple of Wat Mahathat in the World Heritage Site of Sukhothai, Thailand. This panoramic view shows a lotus-bud shaped chedi to the left, a large mandapa with a 12 meter tall standing Buddha image in the center, and a stepped pyramid chedi to the right. Despite the light pollution of nearby city Sukhothai, the setting summer Milky Way can be seen over the ancient monuments during a close conjunction of Venus (the brightest point) and Saturn over the western horizon. Mars is also visible just to the left of the Milky way.

Wat Mahathat was founded by Sri Indraditya, between 1292 and 1347 as the main temple of the city as well as the ancient Sukhothai Kingdom. The design based on Mandala, representing the universe with main principal stupa.Some basic explanation for the main stupa. It represents the mythical Mount Meru, center of the universe, which is the heavenly abode build by the God Indra to enshrine relics of the Buddha. The surrounding stupas represent mountain ranges around Mount Meru, and the moat symbolizes the cosmic ocean of infinity.