The prehistoric monument of Stonehenge has long been studied for its possible connections with ancient astronomy. The site is aligned in the direction of the sunrise of the summer solstice and the sunset of the winter solstice. Archaeoastronomers have made a range of further claims about the site's connection to astronomy, its meaning, and its use.
Full Answer
What is the science behind Stonehenge?
Feb 19, 2020 · What is the connection between Stonehenge and astronomy? In the 1960s, a new theory surfaced that claimed Stonehenge was the work of ancient astronomers, and that its …
What are facts about Stonehenge?
Jul 12, 2021 · The prehistoric monument of Stonehenge has long been studied for its possible connections with ancient astronomy. The site is aligned in the direction of the sunrise of the …
Is Stonehenge worth seeing?
What is the most important aspect of Stonehenge as it relates to astronomy? The Sun shining through the Stonehenge monument. Sun rise on the summer solstice was the most important …
How many stones are in Stonehenge?
Stonehenge's astronomical orientations towards midwinter solstice sunset and midsummer solstice sunrise are not particularly unique – similar arrangements were made at earlier …
How often does the Moon reach the latitude of Stonehenge?
The long sides point towards the positions of the Southernmost Moonrise and Northernmost Moonset – and the Moon only reaches these positions every 18.6 years. What's more, it's only at the latitude of Stonehenge (give or take 30 miles or so) that these lunar and solar extreme positions make a right angle.
What direction does the Avenue run at Stonehenge?
These two directions – Summer Solstice Sunrise and Winter Solstice Sunset – make up the primary alignment at Stonehenge. This runs roughly northeast-southwest and the Avenue follows it for the first few hundred yards of its length down the slope away from the monument beyond the Heel Stone.
Why are the extremes of the Sun and Moon's motions along the horizon easy to identify?
Extremes of the Sun’s and Moon’s motions along the horizon are easy to identify as potential targets for monumental alignments. Planets are not so simple, because their motions are considerably more complex.
How long did it take for prehistoric monuments to be built?
This cultural landscape developed over time, so that the “prehistoric monuments” we see today were built over a timespan of more than 2000 years, from the fourth millennium BC through to the second millennium.
Solar Eclipses
An eclipse of the Sun occurs when the Earth passes through the Moon's shadow. A total eclipse of the Sun takes place only during a new moon, when the Moon is directly between the Sun and the Earth. When ...more
Megaliths Revealed
Many people are interested in the mysterious megalithic structures that can be found around the world. A megalithic structure is a ancient monument made of large stones. Megalith comes from Greek; "mega" ...more
The Stonehenge Monument
There are over 900 rings of stone located in the British Isles. The most famous of these stone rings is of course, Stonehenge. Stonehenge lies in Wiltshire, England. Stonehenge is so mysterious that it ...more
Native American Astronomy
People from Asia crossed the Bering Strait into North America. These people were first in this new land and so they are known as Native Americans. Over time, these people broke into tribes (as seen on ...more
Was Stonehenge ever used as an observatory?
This makes it even more unlikely that Stonehenge was ever used purely as an observatory, and as M.P. Pearson, a researcher from the University of Sheffield, unambiguously states: “We have no evidence that anyone was in the landscape in summer.”.
Was Stonehenge built to be an astronomical calendar?
There are many other examples of researchers (including those of Sir Fred Hoyle, the famous cosmologist) trying to find evidence that “proves” that Stonehenge was built to serve as a sort of astronomical calendar. However, no compelling evidence of this has been discovered to date, and it is unlikely that such evidence will ever be uncovered. In fact, the only megalithic monuments in the UK that are unambiguously aligned with a solar event are those at Newgrange and Maeshowe, both of which are aligned with the winter solstice.
Where is Stonehenge in England?
March 10, 2018 Peter Christoforou Astronomy History 0. Image Credit: David White. Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England , is just one component of a complex of prehistoric monuments that is covered by the UNESCO World Heritage program, and also includes the village of Avebury and its associated sites. However, nothing definitive is known about ...
Is Stonehenge a solar calendar?
There are many other examples of researchers (including those of Sir Fred Hoyle, the famous cosmologist) trying to find evidence that “proves” that Stonehenge was built to serve as a sort of astronomical calendar. However, no compelling evidence of this has been discovered to date, and it is unlikely that such evidence will ever be uncovered. In fact, the only megalithic monuments in the UK that are unambiguously aligned with a solar event are those at Newgrange and Maeshowe, both of which are aligned with the winter solstice.
Where is the heel stone in Stonehenge?
When William Stukeley first investigated Stonehenge in 1720, he recognized that one feature, known as the Heel Stone, which is located outside of the ring of standing stones, was somewhat aligned with the point on the horizon where the Sun rises at the summer solstice. However, he also noticed that the Heel Stone was placed slightly to the right of the exact summer solstice point of sunrise, which seemed strange, since this offset could not be explained by a change in the obliquity of the ecliptic since the monument was constructed. The problem remained unresolved until evidence was uncovered that a second stone to the left of the extant Heel Stone was placed so that the sunrise would have been “framed” between the two stones.
Who developed the method to predict eclipses at Stonehenge?
A similar thing happened with Stonehenge. In 1964, the late astronomer Gerald Hawkins developed an intricate method to use pit holes and markers to predict eclipses at the mysterious monument.
Did prehistoric people have analytic astronomy?
But while it is easy to assume that prehistoric people were analytic astronomers with great knowledge of science, it’s important to remember that this only reflects our modern views of astronomy. Findings from cultural astronomy show that people of the past were indeed sky watchers and incorporated what they saw in many aspects of their lives.
What is the oldest science?
Ever since humans could look up to see the sky, we have been amazed by its beauty and untold mysteries. Naturally then, astronomy is often described as the oldest of the sciences, inspiring people for thousands of years. Celestial phenomena are featured in prehistoric cave paintings. And monuments such as the Great Pyramids ...
Is astronomy the oldest science?
Naturally then, astronomy is often described as the oldest of the sciences, inspiring people for thousands of years. Celestial phenomena are featured in prehistoric cave paintings. And monuments such as the Great Pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge seem to be aligned with precision to cardinal points or the positions where the moon, ...
What is the scientific discipline of astronomy?
A scientific discipline called “archaeoastronomy” or “cultural astronomy”, developed in the 1970s, is starting to provide insights. This subject combines various specialist areas, such as astronomy, archaeology, anthropology and ethno-astronomy.
Who discovered the pyramids?
The pyramids of Egypt are some of the most impressive ancient monuments, and several are oriented with high precision. Egyptologist Flinder Petrie carried out the first high-precision survey of the Giza pyramids in the 19th century. He found that each of the four edges of the pyramids’ bases point towards a cardinal direction to within a quarter of a degree.
Which star is visible through the night?
A study from 2001 proposed that two stars, Megrez and Phad, in the stellar constellation known as Ursa Major may have been the key. These stars are visible through the entire night.
Who proposed the idea of the Indian circle?
Just recently, Glen Dash, an engineer who studies the Giza pyramids, proposed a theory. He draws upon the ancient method of the “Indian circle”, which only requires a shadow casting stick and string to construct an east-west direction.
Which pyramids are aligned with the sun?
The Great Pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge seem to be aligned with precision to cardinal points or the positions where the moon, sun or stars rise and set on the horizon.
Overview
The prehistoric monument of Stonehenge has long been studied for its possible connections with ancient astronomy. The site is aligned in the direction of the sunrise of the summer solstice and the sunset of the winter solstice. Archaeoastronomers have made a range of further claims about the site's connection to astronomy, its meaning, and its use.
Early work
Stonehenge has an opening in the henge earthwork facing northeast, and suggestions that particular significance was placed by its builders on the solstice and equinoxpoints have followed. For example, the summer solstice Sun rose close to the Heel Stone, and the Sun's first rays shone into the centre of the monument between the horseshoe arrangement. While it is possible that such an alignment could be coincidental, this astronomical orientation had been acknowledged …
Gerald Hawkins’ work
Gerald Hawkins’ work on Stonehenge was first published in Naturein 1963 following analyses he had carried out using the Harvard-Smithsonian IBM computer. Hawkins found not one or two alignments but dozens. He had studied 165 significant features at the monument and used the computer to check every alignment between them against every rising and setting point for …
Newham and the Station Stones
In 1966, C. A. ‘Steve' Newham described an alignment for the equinoxes by drawing a line between one of the Station Stones with a posthole next to the Heel Stone. He also identified a lunar alignment; the long sides of the rectangle created by the four station stones matched the Moon rise and moonset at the major standstill. Newham also suggested that the postholes near the entrance were used for observing the saros cycle.
Alexander Thom’s work
Alexander Thom had been examining stone circles since the 1950s in search of astronomical alignments and the megalithic yard. It was not until 1973 that he turned his attention to Stonehenge. Thom chose to ignore alignments between features within the monument, considering them to be too close together to be reliable. He looked for landscape features that could have marked lunar and solar events. However, one of Thom's key sites – Peter's Mound – …
Later theories
One interesting observation that has been published recently is the mean average diameter of the moon and the Earth might be drawn in the diameters of the stone and Earth circles at Stonehenge. Though this overlap could be coincidental, the same ratio between the size of the moon and the Earth is also seen in the size of the Earthwork at Stonehenge and the nearby circle at Durrington Walls.
See also
• Pseudoscientific metrology#Stonehenge
• List of archaeoastronomical sites sorted by country
External links
• Temporal Epoch Calculations, An introduction to research considerations regarding temporal variations in archaeoastronomical and archaeogeodetic variables.