Stonehenge - Does It Point Both Ways?

[bainbrig]

Stonehenge at midsummer shows sunrise at the longest day.

Is there a function of the stones showing sunrise at midwinter?

It’s always struck me that the turning of the year is/was far more significant than marking the decline.

[moggymay]

Stonehenge is tied to the winter solstice, too. At Stonehenge on the day of the northern winter solstice (always around December 20), people watch as the sun sets in the midst of three great stones – known as the Trilithon – consisting of two large vertical stones supporting a third, horizontal stone across the top.

In the case of Stonehenge, this great Trilithon faces outwards from the center of the monument, with its smooth flat face turned toward the midwinter sun. In fact, the primary axes of Stonehenge seems to have been carefully aligned on a sight-line pointing to the winter solstice sunset.

https://earthsky.org/human-world/gallery-the-winter-solstice-as-seen-from-stonehenge

[bainbrig]

Thanks moggy, and for the link.

I know there’s less chance of a decent sunrise on December 20th, but as I said, it’s always struck me as more likely to have a festival singing “the sun’s coming back!” than the opposite.

BB