Summer Solstice connection to Stonehenge: Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year and marks the beginning of the summer in the northern hemisphere. Summer Solstice 2020 will be observed on June 21 this year.
Note that on the day of the summer solstice, if the observer stands in the stone circle, they can see the sunrise in the direction of the heel stone. Scientists have discovered that this monument directly faces the winter sunset rather than the summer sunrise.
On the day of the summer solstice, grand celebrations are often held at the prehistoric site of Stonehenge in England. The ring of standing stones dates back to 3000 BC. It is believed that the summer solstice, sunrise, and sunset can be perfectly seen in this place.
Despite years of research, the purpose or use of this monument is still under debate. The great trilithon, the encompassing horseshoe arrangement of the five central trilithons, the heel stone, and the embanked avenue are aligned in such a way to capture the sunrise of the summer solstice and sunset of the winter solstice.
It is said that during the mid-summer, the festivals dates back in 2600 BC when over thousands gathered. The analysis of animal teeth found by archaeologists about 3 kilometers from the site revealed this. According to a report in The Time, experts believe that the stones were strategically placed to show the solstice twice a year.
The gatherings for solstices at Stonehenge are held since the 1970s. From 1972 to 1984, approximately 30,000 tourists came in at this prehistoric site for midsummer.
Over the years, people have been used to gathering here and celebrating the coming of summer. Stonehenge also holds tourist groups to facilitate people to visit this monument, especially during a solstice.
