Archaeoastronomical studies carried out during the last decades in Mesoamerica have demonstrated that civic and ceremonial buildings were largely oriented on astronomical grounds, mostly to sunrises and sunsets on certain dates, allowing the use of observational calendars that facilitated the scheduling of agricultural and related ritual activities. One of the deeply rooted but unfounded ideas is that many alignments recorded the Sun's positions at the equinoxes. By examining such proposals and analyzing their methodological flaws, I argue that they are not based on reliable and objectively selected alignment data, but rather derive from the preconceived significance attributed to the equinoxes. The most likely targets of the near-equinoctial orientations were the so-called quarter days, which occur two days after/before the spring/fall equinox and mark mid-points in time between the solstices. Considering that the astronomical alignments dominate extensive parts of the built environment, they must have played an important role in religion, worldview, and political ideology. Therefore, only a correct identification of their celestial referents, a prerequisite for any convincing interpretation of their meaning, underlying intents, and observational practices employed, can contribute to a proper understanding of some prominent aspects of architectural and urban planning in Mesoamerica.

过去几十年在中美洲进行的考古天文学研究表明，民用和仪式建筑主要以天文为导向，主要针对特定​​日期的日出和日落，允许使用观测日历，方便安排农业和相关仪式活动。根深蒂固但毫无根据的想法之一是，许多排列记录了太阳在春分点的位置。通过审查这些提议并分析其方法上的缺陷，我认为它们并不是基于可靠且客观选择的对齐数据，而是源自对春分点的先入为主的重要性。近平分方向最有可能的目标是所谓的季度日，它发生在春分/秋分前后两天，标志着夏至之间的时间中点。考虑到天文排列主导着建筑环境的广泛部分，它们一定在宗教、世界观和政治意识形态中发挥了重要作用。因此，只有正确识别它们的天体指示物，这是对它们的含义、潜在意图和所采用的观察实践进行任何令人信服的解释的先决条件，才能有助于正确理解中美洲建筑和城市规划的一些突出方面。