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Thousands descend on Stonehenge to mark Winter Solstice
Posted On Dec 22 2015
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What does this mean in practice? December 22 marks the 2015 winter solstice and the longest night of the year.
This year’s solstice at Stonehenge was reportedly one of the warmest on record, which may have contributed to the crowds.
Don’t worry if you miss this one though, you don’t have long to wait – the next solstice in our solar system is on the 3 of January when the northern summer solstice on Mars occurs.
“This is the dawn we’ve been waiting for, this is the dawn the ancients cared about so much”, he said. At the December solstice, the northern hemisphere is leaning farthest away from the Sun for the year. Pacific Standard Time is eight hours behind, so the solstice for us was 8:49 p.m. Monday.
Not necessarily, although it does usually take place on or around December 21.
When exactly does the winter solstice occur?
A person takes a photo on their mobile phone at Stonehenge in Wiltshire on the Winter Solstice as people gather to witness the sunrise on the shortest day of the year.
“For some people, it’ll be Tuesday”.
Speaking to Phileleftheros, astronomer Ioannis Fakas said: “The astral winter begins today”.
How does this compare to the Summer Solstice?
The winter solstice is the annual event that marks the point when the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun.
The Winter Solstice for the Northern Hemisphere, including Cyprus, falls on Tuesday which will be the shortest day and longest night of the year.
What did the Winter Solstice mean to the ancients?
“People always assume that because the Summer solstice is the June 21st, the winter solstice will be the 21st of December”. The winter solstice is celebrated by many people around the world as the begi…
Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied across cultures, but many have held recognition of rebirth, involving holidays, festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations around that time.
The Temple of Karnak in Egypt was built to align with the sunrise on the Winter Solstice.
