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Winter Solstice Dates & Times
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Solstice literally means 'Sun Stands Still', for a few days around the time of the winter solstice the sun appears
to stand still in the sky in that its elevation at noon does not seem to change.
The winter solstice date is normally considered to be the 21st of December in the northern hemisphere,
however at the winter solstice the position of the sun remains the same for three days.
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The following are the winter solstice mid point dates and times for the years 2001 to 2010 from the
U.S. Naval Observatory.
The time zone used is "Greenwich Mean Time" (GMT) or "Universal Time" (UT).
GMT or UT is time kept on the
Greenwich meridian in London, England at longitude zero.
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Year
Year
Year
Year
Year
Year
Year
Year
Year
Year
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2001 - 21st December 19:21 GMT / UT
2002 - 22nd December 01:14 GMT / UT
2003 - 22nd December 07:04 GMT / UT
2004 - 21st December 12:42 GMT / UT
2005 - 21st December 18:35 GMT / UT
2006 - 22nd December 00:22 GMT / UT
2007 - 22nd December 06:08 GMT / UT
2008 - 21st December 12:04 GMT / UT
2009 - 21st December 17:47 GMT / UT
2010 - 21st December 23:38 GMT / UT
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At Newgrange in Ireland a wonderful event takes place for a
few days around the winter solstice each year, the passage and chamber of
the 5000 year old monument are illuminated by the winter solstice sunrise.
A shaft of sunlight shines through the roof box over the entrance and
penetrates the passage to light up the chamber. The dramatic event lasts
for 17 minutes at dawn from the 19th to the 23rd of December.
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Newgrange Winter Solstice
2004
In 2004 the winter solstice mid point is the 21st December,
however the winter solstice sunrise illuminates the passage and chamber at
Newgrange for a few days around the mid point.
Click Here for images of a beautiful
sunrise on the 19th December 2004.
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Newgrange Winter Solstice 2003
The Winter Solstice sunrise illuminates the passage way leading into the burial
chamber of the megalithic passage tomb at Newgrange on the 21st December
2003. This wonderful photograph by Alan Betson was printed on the
front page of The Irish Times newspaper
on the 22nd December 2003.
Click Here for more on the 2003
Winter Solstice.
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Newgrange
Winter Solstice 2002
Images
from the Winter Solstice at Newgrange on the 22nd December 2002. A rainbow
heightened the experience of those on the outside, as the fortunate few on
the inside, selected by lottery experienced the illumination of the passage
and chamber.
Click Here for more on the 2002
Winter Solstice at Newgrange.
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Newgrange
Winter Solstice 2001
Solstice sunrise lets lucky few gaze through window to an ancient world.
Light at the end of the tunnel: the sun makes its way into the main chamber
at Newgrange during the winter solstice yesterday.
Photography by Frank McGrath.
Click Here for more on the 2001 Winter
Solstice.
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