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Winter Solstice 2005 (updated)

by Simon at 17:49 21/12/05 (Blogs::Simon)

600 people at Stonehenge for the Winter Solstice is far more manageable than 25000 at the Summer Solstice.

(updated with sunset pics)

This morning was a bit misty, with low cloud on the southeastern horizon only allowing the briefest glimpse of a watery sun at dawn.

More photos are available at http://web.org.uk/wintersolstice2005/

I'll be heading back to Stonehenge this afternoon for the solstice sunset - here's hoping it stays clear.

Sunny Solstice, everyone :-)

Update: - well, it was overcast for the rest of the 21st, with the sun only just peeking through at the moment of sunset.

Not to worry, I was also down at Stonehenge last Saturday (17th Dec), when the skies were clear at sunset.... and that looked like this:

Taken 17th Dec 2005 from the mid-point of the Avenue looking southwest along the axis of Stonehenge at sunset

How many 5000 year old machines do you know that work this well? :-)

More pictures from the 17th's sunset, and one of the 21st's, are available here.

--
simon

Attachments...
	(56 K)	100_2416.jpg	Sunrise through the trilithon 21/12/2005
	(58 K)	100_2451.jpg	Wider view

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Winter Solstice 2005 (updated)	Simon - 17:49 21/12/05
Re: Winter Solstice 2005	Bruce Ure - 12:07 21/12/05
Some wonderful shots there Simon! What an amazing-looking atmosphere. Perhaps this shows how rare is the news vacuum in which I deliberately place myself, but I thought they stopped you going near the stones in case you, I dunno, put one in your pocket and stick it on eBay or something. Is it only on the solstices? --
Re: Winter Solstice 2005	Simon - 12:37 21/12/05
Ordinarily, you can't go into the stone circle but they make exceptions at the solstices. They also allow private visits with full access. It's pretty simple to organise - you have to have 2 or more people and you pay £12 for each adult (£10 if English Heritage or National Trust members). Every day there are two private visit slots - one in the morning before the monument opens to the public, and one in the evening after it closes. Up to 26 people are allowed in per slot so if there are only two of you, you might be there alone or you might be there with up to 24 people from other groups who've requested the same slot. Naturally some days are more popular than others :-) especially around the solstices. I'm definitely going to request a private visit at some point. -- simon
Re: Winter Solstice 2005	David Crowson - 13:47 21/12/05
count me in, I've sped past many times but I've never actually stopped and been up close..... -- bombholio
Re: Winter Solstice 2005	Gordon Joly - 14:48 21/12/05
News vacuum indeed. The BBC reported another event in Wiltshire here -- gordo
Re: Winter Solstice 2005	David Crowson - 15:02 21/12/05
That's neat, but not quite as barmy as this :) -- bombholio
Re: Winter Solstice 2005	Gordon Joly - 17:02 21/12/05
Aha, another fan of http://www.rocketboom.com/ perchance? Did you catch this (also via Rocketboom)? "The Sound of One Hand Slapping" http://kzoomusicgroup.com/ Bill Clements plays bass with his left hand only (by slapping the fretboard). -- gordo
Re: Winter Solstice 2005	David Crowson - 17:18 21/12/05
Cheers, I'd forgotten where I got it from, so no not really , it was just something I came across a week or so back....good site though. As for the bass player, I hate him, he makes me feel so inadequate ..'walking on the moon' and needlegun being played badly is almost my entire repetoire bass wise :) -- bombholio
Re: Winter Solstice 2005	Gordon Joly - 17:46 21/12/05
Well, he has been studying since he was thirteen... -- gordo
Re: Winter Solstice 2005	David Crowson - 15:16 21/12/05
Knap Hill too, how strange... Dave in Knaphill ;-p -- bombholio
Re: Winter Solstice 2005	Simon - 17:53 21/12/05
Nice! I didn't know they did that at all. -- simon