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Temple of Apollo in Didyma: An Oracle as an Astronomical Instrument
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In this conference communique, we summarise our findings on the orientation of the Temple of Apollo in Didyma, published in The Journal of Skyscape Archaeology in 2024. We suggest that the temple is carefully oriented towards the heliacal rising direction of Castor (α Gemini) at an azimuth of 55 degrees. Since in the Archaic and Hellenistic construction epochs the heliacal rise of Castor coincided with the summer solstice, Castor’s sighting must have been used as the confirming signal for the beginning of the summer season. We believe the temple was oriented for Castor’s early detection and, therefore, for the oracle’s timing purposes.