Sunrise Solstice over Stonehenge
Explanation:
Today the Sun reaches its northernmost point in planet Earth's sky.
Called a solstice,
many cultures mark this date as a change of seasons -- from spring to summer in
Earth's Northern Hemisphere and from fall to
winter in Earth's
Southern Hemisphere.
Precisely, the single
time of solstice occurs today for some parts
of the world, but tomorrow for other regions.
The featured image was taken during the week of the 2008 summer
solstice at
Stonehenge in
United Kingdom, and captures a picturesque sunrise involving fog, trees, clouds,
stones placed
about 4,500 years ago, and a 4.5 billion year old
large glowing orb.
Even given the precession of the Earth's rotational axis over the millennia, the
Sun continues to
rise over
Stonehenge in an
astronomically significant way.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
