Newgrange Winter Solstice 2023
Newgrangs Winter Solstice
The Winter Solstice is an astronomical phenomenon that marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice occurs on 21 or 22 December, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Capricorn. At sunrise on the shortest day of the year, for 17 minutes, direct sunlight can enter the Newgrange monument, not through the doorway, but through the specially contrived small opening above the entrance known as the ‘roof box’, to illuminate the Chamber.
Newgrange is best known for the illumination of its passage and chamber by the rising sun at the Winter Solstice. Above the entrance to the passage of the mound there is a opening called a roof-box. On mornings around the winter solstice a beam of light penetrates the roof-box and travels up the 19m (62ft) passage and into the chamber. As the sun rises higher, the beam widens so that the whole chamber is dramatically illuminated.
A live stream has also been set up to allow interested observers to catch a glimpse of direct sunlight entering the chamber of the 5,000-year-old passage tomb.
The solar alignment of the passage tomb at Newgrange to face the rising sun on winter solstice is a significant astronomical finding of global importance.
Originally re-discovered by Professor Michael J O’Kelly in 1967, other researchers have since then validated O’Kelly’s interpretation, giving it scientific credibility and meaning.
Analysis of high-resolution imagery taken during last year’s research programme adds to the convincing body of evidence that the solar illumination of the tomb was intentional.
People across the world are invited to tune into this phenomenal event, which can be viewed live on
gov.ie/opw
and
heritageireland.ie
Winter Solstice 21 December 2022
Winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year and the official first day of winter. Winter Solstice for the year 2022 is on December 21. This day marks the beginning of the winter season.
The winter solstice occurs when either of Earth’s poles reach their maximum tilt away from the Sun. The winter solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year, when the Sun is at its lowest. The winter solstice occurs during December usually 21st or 22nd December. The Winter solstice is the opposite of the Summer solstice, which has the most daylight and the longest day with the shortest night of the year.
It is the most important event of the year – even more significant than the summer solstice because it welcomes in the new sun. For this reason, pagan and druid communities actually celebrate the first sunrise after the winter solstice.
The Winter Solstice is an astronomical phenomenon that marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice occurs on 21 or 22 December, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Capricorn. At sunrise on the shortest day of the year, for 17 minutes, direct sunlight can enter the Newgrange monument, not through the doorway, but through the specially contrived small opening above the entrance known as the ‘roof box’, to illuminate the Chamber.
The chamber of the Neolithic passage tomb Newgrange in Co Meath, was partially illuminated during this morning’s sunrise for the winter solstice.The astronomical phenomenon marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year.The sky was clear as the sun began to rise over the Boyne Valley, but at 8.58am the sun became obstructed by cloud.
Volcano Eruption
A volcano erupted on Monday night in southwest Iceland following weeks of intense earthquake activity, the country’s Meteorological Office said.
Fearing a significant outbreak on the Reykjanes peninsula, authorities in recent days evacuated the nearly 4,000 inhabitants of the fishing town of Grindavik and closed the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.
“Warning: Eruption has started north of Grindavik by Hagafell,” the Met Office said on its website.
Reykjanes is a volcanic and seismic hot-spot southwest of the capital Reykjavik.
Comet Nishimura
Tuesday September 12
Stargazers have a “rare and exciting” opportunity to see a comet shooting through space at 240,000 miles per hour. Nishimura takes 500 years to orbit the solar system, Earth takes one year. This opportunity happens once in a decade.
The Comet Nishimura can already be seen in the hour after sunset and hour before dawn by looking east-north-east, experts have said, while peak visibility is expected just before dawn on Tuesday September 12.
Blue Moon
Wed 30 Aug
Thurs 31 Aug
Irish stargazers will get a chance to see a super blue moon the first time it will be visible since 2009.The rare sight, which can be seen Wednesday 30 Aug and Thursday 31 Aug night, will not be visible over Irish skies again until 2037, according to Astronomy Ireland.
It says that roughly once every two or three years, there can be two full moons in one calendar month and, when this happens, the second full moon is popularly known as a blue moon.
‘Buck’ Supermoon
lights up night sky
Star Gazers got a treat as the first of four Supermoons of the year lit up the night sky Mon 3 July 2023
A Supermoon occurs when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth at the same time it is full.
Astronomy Ireland has said the Supermoon is larger and 30% brighter than at other times.
July’s moon is called the ‘full Buck Moon’, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, as the antlers of male deers are fully growing during this period.
Astronomy Ireland has said that those who missed the supermoon last night will have another opportunity to see it rising at around 11:20pm tonight Tues 4th July 2023.
Americans are celebrating the biggest holiday of the year on Tuesday, Fourth of July, marking the 247th anniversary of the founding of the United States as well as the “Buck Moon”.
May Emerald Flower Moon
The full moon of May 5, 2023, also known as the Flower Moon, is a sight to behold. As one of the four lunar events known as the “cross-quarter days,” it marks the midpoint between the spring equinox and summer solstice, and has been celebrated by various cultures throughout history.
A full moon on Saturday 3rd June 2023 will make the coastline more dangerous with rip currents stronger. Swim within your depth on beaches with lifeguards. The sea still remaind cold so be aware. Check www.watersafety.ie/lifeguards/.
May’s birth flower is the Lily of the Valley.
Lily of the valley is considered the sign of Christ’s second coming.
The power of people to envision a better world was also attributed to the lily of the valley
In Christianity it represents the Second Coming of Christ or Our Lady’s tears
The birthstone for the month of May is the Emerald
It represents love or success.
The emerald has a meaning as a stone that brings luck
Deep green is the most desired colour
A Primrose flower blooms in the early Summer,
They represent youth, new beginnings, new life, or birth
Origin of Darling Buds of May
William Shakespeare, the renowned English playwright, was the first to use this expression. It appears in Sonnet 18, which is from the early 1600s.
Sonnet 18:
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Lunar Eclipse
Lunar Eclipse
Sat 28 Oct 2023
The next lunar eclipse of 2023 will be a partial lunar eclipse on October 28. It will be visible over parts of Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, North America, North/East South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Arctic and Antarctica.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth’s shadow. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are exactly or very closely aligned with Earth between the other two, which can happen only on the night of a full moon.
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