The solstice loometh!

[Earl]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solstice

get your druid outfit ready, the dark nights will be upon us later rather than soon.

[x6gas]

...but they are coming!

[pixelsaurus]

get your druid outfit ready, the dark nights will be upon us later rather than soon.

Only for some. I'm going to have to put up with spring, and summer and no more cold,wet cloudy nights. Sigh!

[LukeSkywatcher]

I was just talking to my mother today saying the longest day of the year is a few days away yet the weather is like winter. Its raining cats and dogs and windy. The only difference between now and winter is it is a bit warmer then winter.

[Astro Imp]

Only for some. I'm going to have to put up with spring, and summer and no more cold,wet cloudy nights. Sigh!

Well we are suffering with warm(ish) wet, windy, cloudy nights.

[David Smith]

And don't forget the longest day, which is good because we will be able to fit a bit more rain in on that day

[Mr Q]

In the spirit of observing the solstices, I wanted to share my astronomical pilgrimage to a primitive astronomical site quite like England's Stonehenge

Years ago my nephew (a Druid follower) and I took an hours drive to America's Stonehenge in Salem, NH at Mystery Hill. The site was an impressive one with lots of mystery surrounding the site and its original purposes. Sighting stones circle the center and are aligned to mark the rising and setting Sun for important times of the year. I took many photos of the site - even crawling into the tiny chamber where the "Oracle Tube" begins and tested it out with my nephew on the outside at the sacrifical table and it worked nicely.

Well, being into astronomy (my nephew into Druidism), we planed a trip back during the next solstice but were informed that at every solstice up to a hundred people usualy show up so we opted out from the idea due to the confined space and the views of the rising/setting Sun over the sighting stones can only be seen from the small observation hut shown in the link below.

I wonder if Stonehenge experiences this mob of people at the solstices.

And like the Druids of old, I too believe that our New Year starts on the first day of Spring when everything renews itself.

So here's a look at (with a video, if it plays - it did for me once, then not again) our Stonehenge:

AMERICA'S STONEHENGEhttp://atlasobscura....ge-mystery-hill

[LukeSkywatcher]

Well we are suffering with warm(ish) wet, windy, cloudy nights.

When will "summer" start?

Sept/Oct?

[Tinker1947]

The red bit is the Jetstream, it should be near Iceland this time of the year.

http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=jetstream;sess=

[notaclue]

When will "summer" start?

Sept/Oct?

I booked it for Thursday afternoon in 5 weeks time.

[sologuitarist61]

It's strange but I have seen 65 years of summer solstices (can't remember all of them obviously!!) but each year since i have been an adult I have wanted to see the longest day, from dawn to sunset, and yet in all that time I have never been able to actually do so - there has always been cloud for one or the other (usually the entire day :embarrassed: )

[Monty]

Druids and Stonehenge is a myth I'm afraid. Compared to Stonehenge, druids are a relatively modern religion.

[jflowers]

I wonder if Stonehenge experiences this mob of people at the solstices.

Very much so!

24000 people in 2007

[ronin]

I was up at 2:20 this morning and the sky was light, could see a few of the main stars but nothing else was visible. So when the solstice arrives and we get on the path to increasing amounts of dark hopefully things will improve.

[Lenny147]

I work with a guy who is a druid, he goes to stonehenge every year and by all accounts there are a few thousand people there and the atmosphere is amazing. The same guy also bought his wife a star close to betelgeuse for £50 off some random guy he met on a beach in bali for her birthday, you can make your own conclusions on that story lol

[texaspete1973]

Once upon a time i hated the dark nights then astronomy came along and thats all i want now

[notaclue]

I work with a guy who is a druid, he goes to stonehenge every year and by all accounts there are a few thousand people there and the atmosphere is amazing.

The Solstice is now considered a look forward to winter. Some pagans I know say it is good to welcome the sun and I agree. It is nice to get warm weather and clear skies in summer. But Solstice is the beginning of winter. If you look from the rising sun you see it points to the sun in winter. This is when the days get longer and also a time to celebrate. Mayes How [sp] once a year has a shaft of light that illuminates the barrow where their dead is kept (or was) and for 15 minutes it porvides light.

Maybe the worshippers are getting it wrong. They should look towards winter, the dakening skies and with astronomers, better viewing.

Once upon a time i hated the dark nights then astronomy came along and thats all i want now

Same here.

[Darkstar_1]

notaclue, the correct spelling is maes howe, i have been there a couple of times, and the ring of brodger also at Orkney far predates Stonehenge. Fantastic place.

[notaclue]

Thanks for the correction. I placed the [sp] as I did not know the correct way it was written so I covered myself with the [sp] so to say I know of but not written in the correct manner.

[swamp thing]

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Once upon a time i hated the dark nights then astronomy came along and thats all i want now

I know exactly what you mean Peter. Funny ain't it you spend years looking forward to the long warm days. Then you get into Astro and all you want is winter back every Sumer.

[Vega]

For me astronomy viewing takes a back seat until mid July... before The Great Awakening!

[leemanley]

yep, bring on the longest day ! dowwnhill all the way from then.

It'll soon be winter, the odd crystal clear diamond studded night and inevitably many,many

wet, cold and cloudy nights....erm. hang on a mo