Above Illustrations Copyright and Courtesy of William K. Hartmann. All rights reserved

Travel with The Planetary Society and discover
the Chicxulub Meteor impact crater!
MAYA WORLD
& the Great Dinosaur Extinction
November 10-18, 2011

Dear Members & Friends:

Join us and discover the “Land of the Ancient Maya”—including the Chicxulub Meteor impact crater! See 3,000 years of history come alive and learn about the Meteor 65 million years ago, and its impact on life on earth!

We are privileged to have Dr. Bruce Love, a noted Yucatan Maya expert, as our leader on this expedition. Under Dr. Love’s excellent leadership, we will explore fascinating Maya sites in Yucatan and learn about the Chicxulub Meteor impact and the astroarchaeological heritage of the Maya sites.

The itinerary includes:

• Merida, formerly the Maya capital “T’ho,” and in 2000 the first city to be designated an “American Capital of Culture.”
• Uxmal, a superb Maya site whose architecture shows an influence of highland Mexico. This reflects the distant trade routes during the Maya classic period.
• Puuc Hill sites, including Kabah, Sayil, and Labna, with many small buildings with geometric, mosaic patterns across the facades.
• Dzibilchaltun, a noted Maya site which spans 2,000 years as a Maya administrative and ceremonial city from 1,500 BC until European conquest in the 1,540’s including the astronomical central plaza.
• Chicxulub Meteor site, on the Yucatan coast near the ancient center of the impact 65 million years ago.
• Izamal, the center of worship to the Sun God and the Supreme God, Itzamna. See the cathedral and walk among dozen of pyramids.
• Chichen Itza, the greatest Maya site in the Yucatan. You may walk up the steps of El Castillo for a commanding view of one of the largest of all Maya sites and discover its many temples, ballcourt, and more!
• Balancanche, the mysterious 300-meter-deep cave with ceremonial incense burners, colorful pots, and ritual grinding stones.
• Coba, a Maya site with towering pyramids and stelae, but still only about 10-15% uncovered from the luxuriant growth of tropical forest.
• Tulum, a Maya site with dramatic sea coast location overlooking the Caribbean, and a major trading center for the Maya, near the resort community of Cancun.
  We invite you to join us as we discover the ancient Maya wonders of the Yucatan Peninsula and seek answers to long sought questions about the Maya civilization, Chicxulub Meteor, and Dinosaur Extinction.

Sincerely,
Bill Nye
The Science Guy®
Executive Director

Brochure (Requires an Adobe pdf reader to view)