Star Axis is a monumental earthwork and naked-eye observatory by artist Charles Ross, begun in 1971 and still under construction in the desert of New Mexico. Conceived as a walkable instrument, it is carefully aligned with stellar movements across thousands of years: the rotation of Polaris, the precession of the equinoxes, the long rhythms of celestial drift.
The work has unfolded slowly over decades, each chamber, tunnel, and stairway built with extraordinary mathematical care. Its precision is stunning: geometry and stone calibrated so that human movement through the structure traces the arcs of cosmic time. Unlike telescopes that mediate the sky through lenses, Star Axis invites direct inhabitation of astronomical patterns, situating the body within cycles that far exceed a lifetime.
See also: Spiral Jetty and Sun Tunnels
Images from Star Axis and Charles Ross.
