Loughcrew Spring Equinox 2004

This image photographed inside Cairn T at 6:51am shows the shaped beam of equinox sunlight illuminating the back stone. Over a period of about 30 minutes the beam moves to the bottom right corner of the backstone.

This image photographed at 7:15am shows the beam of equinox sunlight illuminating the bottom right corner of the backstone.

This image photographed at 7:18am shows the last of the sunbeam on the backstone, the stones to the right of the back recess are now illuminated. There is a sun symbol at the bottom of the stone in the centre of the image.



Light Years Ago: A Study of the Cairns of Newgrange and Cairn T Loughcrew, Co. Meath, Ireland by Tim O'Brien shows that the symbols of the sun engraved on the backstone of Cairn T at Loughcrew are precisely positioned to measure solar movement. A beam of light from the rising sun around the time of the March and September equinoxes is mapped on the backstone.

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Loughcrew Video - Spring Equinox 2005

The progress of the sunbeam on the backstone inside Cairn T at Loughcrew was video recorded at sunrise on the morning of March 23rd 2005. The 50 minute video has been compressed to 1 minute 46 seconds and included in the following YouTube Video.

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