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Loughcrew Autumn Equinox 2006

On 22 September 2006 the autumn equinox sunrise entered the passage of Loughcrew Cairn T and lit the carved backstone. These photographs are by Ken Williams of ShadowsandStone.com.

Sunrise light on standing stones atop a grassy mound at Loughcrew Cairn V, photo by Ken Williams. Sunrise at Loughcrew Cairn V, 22 September 2006. Photo by Ken Williams.
Looking out the stone passage of Cairn T toward a gated entrance lit by golden sunrise, with cup marks on a left orthostat, photo by Ken Williams. Equinox sunbeam in the passage of Cairn T. Photo by Ken Williams.
Autumn equinox sunlight on the Cairn T backstone lighting sunbursts, zigzags and flower motifs, photo by Ken Williams. The backstone of Cairn T illuminated by the equinox sun. Photo by Ken Williams.
Narrow beam of light moving across and down the carved Cairn T backstone, photo by Ken Williams. As the sun rises, the beam of light moves across and down the backstone. Photo by Ken Williams.
Sunbeam leaving the backstone onto sill and chamber stones, with a flower-like sun carving lit at left, photo by Ken Williams. Sunbeam moving from the backstone to the sill stone and the stones in the main chamber. Photo by Ken Williams.

Book cover: Light Years Ago by Tim O'Brien, with a golden flower-like sun carving on dark stone. 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 23 March 2005. The 50 minute video has been compressed to 1 minute 46 seconds and included in the following YouTube video.

Spring Equinox sunrise at Loughcrew Cairn T, March 2005.

Gossan Stones Equinox Sunrise Alignment

Equinox sunrise framed between two standing stones at the Gossan Stones in the Wicklow Mountains. The equinox sunrise is framed by the Gossan Stones in the Wicklow Mountains.
Tall view of equinox sunlight illuminating sun symbols, zigzags and ladder motifs on the Cairn T backstone at Loughcrew. Equinox sunlight on the backstone in Cairn T.

Loughcrew Equinox Archive

See also the main Loughcrew Equinox page and Boyne Valley Tours Equinox.

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