An Ancient Celebration
The ancient Celts celebrated the summer and winter solstice as the time when the day length started to change.
Their Celtic descendants hold a ceremony at the Australian Standing Stones to observe solar noon - when the sun is at its highest point in the sky.
The chief guardian of the Stones, and Australian Standing Stones Management Board chair preside. The ceremony begins at 11.30am with a piper. The chief guardian then gives a talk about how the stones measure solar noon.
Summer & Winter Solstice
The Summer Solstice occurs once a year in December when the Sun's track across the Australian sky reaches its highest point.
It is the day that has the most daylight hours of any in the year. The summer solstice usually occurs on 22 December, but can occur between 21 and 23 December.
On the longest day, the summer solstice, the sun casts a shadow close to the stone; on the shortest day the shadow stretches far from the stone.
The Winter Solstice is the day of the year that has the least daylight hours of any in the year and usually occurs on 22nd June but can occur between 21st and 23rd June.
At solar noon, June 21st 2018 11.55 am, the point of the winter solstice plaque, 4 metres from the stone is aligned with the sun’s shadow.
In other years, the ceremony took place at dawn, when the rising sun’s rays hit the Australis stone for all Celts.
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