These three views of the Chac mask at the Palace's excavated northwestern corner show the Maya symbol for the numeral "8" (the horizontal line with three dots beneath) incised above the eyes. It is widely postulated that the reason for this is because the renewal of the planet Venus' cycle of sweeping out five distinct patterns in the sky corresponds nearly precisely with eight 365-day years. The correspondence is usually within one day. The southern corners of the Palace have not yet been excavated. Back to the Venus and the Maya page.