The planet Venus is called the Morning Star and also the Evening Star. It has a very lengthy cycle in its repeated positions as seen from earth. Although it appears in the evening for 250 days, it appears in the morning before dawn for 236 days. In the Mayan culture in Central America, the eight days between the evening cycle and the morning cycle correspond to the death and resurrection of the sky god Kukulcan, the most powerful of ancient Maya deities. When the bright morning star reappears, hope is assured among the people that order is restored in the cosmos.
