![]() ![]() The site was re-opened to the public on solstice in 2000. Stonehenge was closed for 16 years after rioting broke out between police and revelers for several years at solstice gatherings. Thousands of people annually celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England.Īt sunrise at Stonehenge on the longest day of the year, the rising sun appears behind one of the main stones, creating the illusion that the sun is balancing on the stone. Historically, the solstice has been celebrated by numerous cultures around the world. For several days before and after each solstice the sun appears to stand still in the sky, i.e., its noontime elevation does not seem to change from day to day. Solstice loosely translated in Latin is “sun stands still”. Equinoxes mark the beginning of spring (March) and fall (September). It is the exact opposite in the Southern Hemisphere.Ī solstice is different from an equinox, the two times each year when the sun is directly above the Earth’s equator and day and night are of equal length. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and marks the beginning of winter. Winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere occurs on December 21 or 22, when the sun appears at its most southerly position,directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn (23 degrees 27 minutes south latitude). ![]() The summer solstice is the longest day of the year and marks the beginning of summer. Summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere occurs on June 20, 21, or 22, when the sun reaches its most northerly point, directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer (23 degrees 27 minutes north latitude). In many countries, the seasons of the year are determined by the solstices and the equinoxes. ![]() The year’s winter solstice will take place on December 21. Two solstices occur annually, around June 21 and December 21. The 2017 summer solstice fell on Wednesday. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. ![]()
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