Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument in south-west England that has captivated guests for millennia, has lengthy been related to the alignment of the Sun. The stone circle’s central axis aligns with the dawn in midsummer and the sundown in winter, creating a shocking spectacle throughout the altering seasons.
But might Stonehenge even have a connection to the Moon? The concept that the monument was linked to lunar positions gained reputation within the Nineteen Sixties, however had not been totally explored till now, based on Clive Ruggles, an archaeoastronomy professor on the University of Leicester.
This summer time, archaeologists are utilizing a uncommon lunar phenomenon that happens each 18.6 years to research why Stonehenge was constructed. The phenomenon, often known as the lunar node cycle, causes the Moon’s rising and setting positions to shift from north to south over the course of the cycle.
By monitoring these lunar actions, researchers hope to uncover the importance of the Moon’s alignment with Stonehenge. The monument’s station stones, organized in a rectangle across the circle, almost match the extremes of the Moon’s place throughout the solstices.
Through detailed observations of the Moon’s alignment with Stonehenge, the crew goals to unravel the aim behind this connection and the potential significance it held for the traditional builders and customers of the location.
Stonehenge just isn’t the one megalithic monument which will have had ties to lunar phases. In the United States, researchers are learning lunar alignments at Chimney Rock, a sacred Native American web site with stone pillars framing the horizon. Similar associations with the Moon may be seen on the Calanais stones in Scotland.
While some skeptics doubt the intentional alignment of historical monuments with the Moon, researchers consider that shut statement of the sky was a standard follow amongst historical civilizations. As they proceed their investigations, they hope to make clear the intricate relationship between these historical websites and the celestial our bodies that guided their building.