What was the most important celestial object for the Aztecs?

The Sun was the most important celestial object for the Aztecs. Aztec, or Mexica, religion viewed the Sun as essential to the continuation of life and the movement of cosmic time.

Their mythology described the world as existing in successive cosmic ages, or “Suns.” The current age was believed to require continual nourishment and ritual support. The Sun was closely associated with Huitzilopochtli, the Mexica patron deity of war, and with Tonatiuh, a solar deity represented in Aztec religious art.

This importance appears in architecture and ritual. The great Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc, while the famous Aztec Sun Stone depicts a solar-centered cosmology and the current era’s glyph. Ceremonies such as the New Fire ritual were intended to renew the world and ensure that the cosmic cycle continued.

The Moon and Venus were also highly significant, so “most important” should not be taken to mean that the Aztecs ignored other celestial bodies. Venus, especially as the morning star, had major ritual and calendrical importance. Nevertheless, the Sun is the standard answer to this broad quiz question.