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Newgrange - Winter Solstice
 Unfortunately it was a dull damp morning at Newgrange on December 21st
2008.
Cloudy skies prevented the sun's rays from illuminating the passage and chamber of the 5000 year old mound at Newgrange.
The OPW had to incorporate clips from Solstice 2007
into the live Solstice 2008
webcast.
The general public are welcome to gather at Newgrange for the Sunrise on the mornings
around the Solstice (usually
December 18th to December 23rd).
All access to the chamber is decided by lottery, the
draw for the 2009 Winter Solstice will take place on the
25th of September at the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre.
There were 34,107 applications for the 2008 draw.
Fifty names are drawn, and each of the lucky winners can bring a guest, there
are ten lottery winners and their guests in the chamber on each of the mornings
around the Winter Solstice.
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In contract to Solstice 2008, the weather conditions on 21st December 2007 were
perfect and rising sun illuminated the passage and chamber of the Newgrange mound. An achieve of the
Solstice 2007
webcast and a six minute
compilation is available at Newgrange.com
The passage and chamber inside the ancient mound at Newgrange 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 on a few days before and after the Winter
Solstice. Admission to the chamber at Newgrange for the Winter Solstice
sunrise is by lottery.
When Newgrange was built over 5000 years ago, the winter solstice sunbeam would have
made its way to the back recess of the central chamber. Due to changes in the tilt
of the Earth's axis the sunbeam now stops 2 metres from the back recess.
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Newgrange Winter Solstice
2004
Click Here for images photographed on
the actual morning of the winter solstice - 21st December 2004.
This image photographed from inside the chamber by Alan
Betson was printed in the Irish Times newspaper on the 22nd 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.
More Images from the 2003
Winter Solstice at Newgrange.
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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.
More Images from 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, photography by Frank McGrath.
More about the 2001 Winter Solstice
at Newgrange.
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Winter Solstice Dates
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.
Click here for more information.
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